Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba on Tuesday refused to read an apology prepared for her upon resumption to the Senate weeks after she was suspended.
The ensuing confrontation between her and Senate Speaker Amason Amason Kingi quickly escalated the situation and ended with her walking out of the House without apologising as stipulated.
According to Kingi, one of the stipulations of Orwoba's return was for her to deliver an apology to the Senate after her 79-day suspension was reduced to 30 days.
"In accordance with the resolutions passed on September 30, 2023, and on February 26, 2025, Senator Gloria Orwoba is expected to tender an apology to the Senate, Honourable Senators, the Clerk of the Senate, and the Secretariat of Parliament before being admitted to the Senate," stated Kingi.
"I now invite Senator Gloria Orwoba to tender an apology in a manner prescribed in the report of the committee on powers and privileges and as adopted by the Senate."
She was expected to read the apology verbatim without any omissions or additions.
"Mr Speaker, I, Senator Gloria Orwoba, hereby tender my unreserved apology to this Senate. I undertake that I shall abide by the responsibilities of leadership as set out in the constitution, the Leadership and Integrity Act 2012, and the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act 2017. I therefore beseech to be admitted to the chamber. I thank you," Orwoba read.
However, this was not satisfactory to the Speaker who revealed that Orwoba had skipped several sections of the apology that had been approved by the Senate plenary.
According to the prescribed apology subsequently read by Speaker Kingi, the pre-approved one included a clause that acknowledged she had acted in a manner that constituted a breach of Parliamentary privilege which reflected adversely on the dignity and the integrity of Parliament.
Orwoba however emphasised that she could not read the section as it would be self-incriminatory on her pending court case. She also insisted that she had apologised severally to her colleagues for her conduct.
After failing to compel Orwoba to read the statement as is, Speaker Kingi gave her an ultimatum stating, "You either read this apology as prescribed or you go think about it and come back any day or any time you will be willing to read it as is prescribed."
It was at this point that Orwoba stood her ground, refusing to perjure herself on the ongoing court case and opting to walk away instead.
