Former lawmaker for Cross-River South Senatorial District, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, has rejected Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claim of sexual harassment, arguing that once women become senators, they are no longer susceptible to harassment.
In an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Ita-Giwa stated that it reflects weakness for female lawmakers to make such allegations.
She argued that women who reach the Senate have moved beyond the stage of being sexually harassed, as they are there to serve and are all equal in that environment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of blocking her motions on the Ajaokuta Steel Company due to her refusal of his sexual advances.
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However, Ita-Giwa disagreed, saying, “By the time you contest elections and get to the Senate, you have passed that stage of your life of being sexually harassed. You go there to serve, and you are all equal in that place.”
She further emphasized, “It shows weakness; you don’t allow it. It (sexual harassment) cannot happen in the Senate. I’m not saying the lady is lying, but when you get to the Senate, you’re there as a person. You’re not there as a woman.”
When asked whether female lawmakers should remain silent about harassment from colleagues, Ita-Giwa, a former presidential adviser, insisted that making such allegations at that level indicates weakness.
“At that stage in politics, if you come out and say someone is sexually harassing you, it is a weakness,” she stated.
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She reiterated that sexual harassment should not happen in the Senate, adding, “I’m not here to defend anybody in politics.”
Ita-Giwa also emphasized that female senators should consider themselves equals to their male counterparts, highlighting the significant achievement of winning a senatorial seat.
The conflict between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio began last week when she discovered her Senate seat had been changed, leading to a brief disruption during a plenary session.
During her Arise TV appearance, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed the issue started in December 2023 when she and her husband visited Akpabio’s home for his birthday.
She alleged that Akpabio made inappropriate advances while showing her around, prompting her husband to caution her against being alone with him.
While Akpabio has not yet commented on the accusation, his wife, Ekaette, has publicly rejected Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claim and filed a defamation lawsuit against her.
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