The Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has rejected the sexual harassment accusations made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling them politically motivated and a tactic to avoid disciplinary action.
In a statement released on Sunday, Nwebonyi argued that the allegations were baseless and strategically timed to divert attention from a current disciplinary process involving Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He also criticized former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki for comparing his past situation with the current allegations against Akpabio, asserting that the two cases are not alike.
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“Saraki’s case was about official duties as Senate President—an accusation concerning the importation of an official vehicle. It was a procedural issue that was swiftly resolved through the Senate Ethics Committee.
“In contrast, the allegations against Akpabio are personal, unverified, and only emerged when the accuser faced disciplinary action,” Nwebonyi stated.
Nwebonyi further alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan has a history of making “reckless and false allegations” against prominent individuals, including Reno Omokri, Dino Melaye, and Yahaya Bello, adding that her accusations typically follow a pattern of “wild claims, media noise, and no evidence.”
“If she truly believed she was being victimised because of an alleged sexual harassment incident, the proper forum to raise such a grievance would have been the Senate itself, not a television interview. The Senate is moved by reason and laws, not sentiments and drama,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Whip also highlighted that Akpoti-Uduaghan was appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content in November 2023, prior to the alleged incident in Ikot Ekpene.
“If she had truly been a victim, why would the Senate leadership, under the same Akpabio, assign her such a critical leadership role?” he asked.
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Nwebonyi emphasized that the Senate should not be swayed by unfounded accusations, urging Akpoti-Uduaghan to address her allegations through the proper legal channels instead of using the Senate as a platform for “diversionary theatrics.”
“The correct course of action is clear: she should first answer to the Senate Ethics Committee for her misconduct. If she believes she has a valid sexual harassment claim, she should file a case in the appropriate legal forum, not use the Senate and the media as a shield against accountability,” he said.
He cautioned that accepting such claims without evidence could establish a harmful precedent, allowing anyone to make false accusations in an attempt to disrupt Senate activities.
“The Senate and Nigerians should not fall for this diversionary tactic. The Senate must stay focused, maintain order, and refuse to be blackmailed into legitimizing what is clearly an opportunistic falsehood,” Nwebonyi concluded.
