Former Senate Minority Leader Abiodun Olujimi has weighed in on the ongoing dispute between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The conflict began over a seating arrangement, which eventually led Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan to file a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Akpabio and his senior legislative aide, Mfon Patrick.
She is seeking N100 billion in damages and N300 million in litigation costs.
The lawsuit is based on a Facebook post allegedly made by Mr. Patrick following a heated argument between the Senate President and Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan.
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The situation escalated further on Friday when Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, in an interview with Arise Television, accused Mr. Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recalled an incident from December 8, 2023, when she and her husband visited Mr. Akpabio’s residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
In response, Mr. Akpabio’s wife, Ekaette, defended her husband, dismissing the allegation as baseless.
She also filed two defamation lawsuits against Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, seeking N350 billion in damages for damaging her husband’s reputation.
Read Also: I Have Concrete Evidence Against Akpabio – Natasha
Speaking about the controversy in an Arise Television interview on Saturday, Mrs. Olujimi, who represented Ekiti South Senatorial District from 2015 to 2023, described Mr. Akpabio as humorous.
The 66-year-old said: “I took over from Godswill Akpabio as Minority Leader, so I know him and his wife quite well. He (Akpabio) jokes a lot. He’s fond of making little fun out of everything.
He loves to make everything light, and such a person becomes vulnerable when someone does that. So that makes Akpabio very vulnerable. In the Senate, I saw what Akpabio and others went through as men. Outsiders often victimised them, and I had to step in to support them.
“It’s difficult to explain what Akpabio and others endured in the Senate, so they make light of every issue. Many male senators face immense pressure. It’s not as easy as people assume. They internalise—receiving calls, having their wives dragged into the spotlight, and dealing with issues blown out of proportion. I have had to support some of them, even going home and telling their wives that these allegations couldn’t be true. They are all vulnerable.”
Furthermore, the journalist-turned-politician advised Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan to seek an amicable resolution to the matter without resorting to legal action.
“Regarding the court case, I want to appeal to Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to take it out of court because we don’t want women to look emotionally unstable. We (women) need to be strong enough to face the men.
“Going to court against the Presiding Officer isn’t good. I know she’s hurt, but she needs to handle it better, and I think that should get out of court as fast as possible,” said Mrs Olujimi.
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