Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
The lawmaker, who has been in the spotlight due to her ongoing dispute with Akpabio, made the allegation during an interview on ARISE TV on Friday.
The controversy began after Akpoti-Uduaghan confronted Akpabio over the unauthorized change of her seat in the Senate chamber.
The disagreement led to her referral to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.
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The committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imaseun (LP, Edo South), was given two weeks to investigate the matter and report its findings. The decision followed a voice vote in which lawmakers emphasized the importance of maintaining parliamentary decorum.
Meanwhile, Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a ₦100.3 billion fundamental human rights lawsuit against Akpabio.
During her interview on Friday, she claimed to have evidence supporting her allegations, stating that her husband was also a witness.
She revealed that she had printed screenshots of conversations between herself and Akpabio and challenged the Department of State Services (DSS) to retrieve details of their exchanges, alleging that “he was always calling me on WhatsApp.”
She said: “My issue with Akpabio started on 8th of December, 2023 when myself and my husband visited Akwa Ibom for Senator Akpabio’s birthday. Akpabio was showing me around his house and was holding my hands with my husband following behind us when he said, he wants me to come and be spending special moments in his house. My husband heard him and later told me not to travel abroad alone or be with the Senate President alone.
“In February, I wanted to move a motion for the investigation on the ills of the corrupt practice in a Ajaokuta steel company. I listed that motion five times. It was the sixth time that it was listed on the order paper that was approved. Many senators can testify to that.
“Before the motion made the order paper, I went to the Senate President in his office, and I said, Senate President,’ you know how important this Ajaokuta Steel Company is to me, you know how important it is to my people and to Nigerians. I’ve noticed that you have stepped down this motion’. As a matter of fact, a number of senators told me to see him and plead with him so that he would take it. I was like, ‘sir, please, why can’t you take this motion? It’s very important’ Then, it was listed the third time and stepped down.
“He then said, ‘Natasha, I’m the Chief presiding officer of the Senate, you can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me. Make me happy’. At that point, I said, ‘Sir, I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear this’. He said, ‘well, the ball is in your court’. I left his office
“My case is a case of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him.”
See video below:
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