Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has suggested that Senate President Godswill Akpabio should apologize to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan regarding the sexual harassment allegations against him, if warranted.
In March 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted an affidavit to the Senate Ethics Committee as supporting evidence in her petition against the Senate President.
Her petition accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, abuse of office, and obstruction of legislative duties.
However, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions dismissed the allegations against the Senate President, declaring them “dead on arrival.”
Read Also: Agbakoba Reveals Inconsistencies In Natasha’s Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Akpabio
During a press conference at his Apapa Chambers in Lagos on Tuesday, Agbakoba stated that he chose to publicly express his intentions to avoid Akpoti-Uduaghan perceiving his actions as “confrontational.”
Dr. Agbakoba highlighted discrepancies in the timeline of events, asserting that there are “significant inconsistencies” in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio.
The legal expert called for a fair and evidence-based approach to the sensitive claims, while also expressing his support for efforts to combat gender-based harassment.
Dr. Agbakoba, a seasoned lawyer with over 40 years in the field, specifically drew attention to the chronology of events provided by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He pointed out that despite the alleged incident occurring on December 8, 2023, the senator publicly shared positive remarks about Akpabio on social media the very next day, December 9.
“These posts included praise for the Senate President and reflections on his birthday celebration in Uyo, Akwa Ibom,” Agbakoba said. “This juxtaposition — an alleged traumatic incident followed by voluntary public eulogies — presents a contradiction that must be carefully examined.”
Dr. Agbakoba also brought up Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s previous allegations, including a 2021 claim against a former presidential aide that she later retracted, and an earlier video where she accused an unidentified minister of misconduct.
He clarified that these past incidents do not invalidate her current claims but emphasized that such patterns highlight the need for consistency and corroborating evidence.
Dr. Agbakoba urged the senator to provide additional evidence, particularly since she had previously expressed a willingness to share more details.
In a letter dated April 14, addressed to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan but not yet formally delivered, Dr. Agbakoba’s legal team requested that she clarify the identified contradictions, providing her with a two-week period to respond before they decide on their next steps.
Read Also: Natasha Speaks On Sexual Assault Evidence Against Akpabio
The letter to Natasha reads thus: “we are solicitors to senator Godswill Akpabio (Our Client) and write bases on his instructions regarding your claims of sexual harassment stated in your petition dated 4th March 2025.
“We respect and support the global and international efforts to create a safe and respectful environment for all, especially women in public life. Gender based harassment has no place in our institutions and every allegation deserves serious attention. While we support a society where individuals feel safe to speak up, we must also uphold the principles of justice that require evidence and fairness . Our legal system is built on the presumption of innocence untill proven guilty, and this fundamental principle must be respected even in sensitive case. We painstakingly reviewed you claims and have concern.
“At paragraph 4.1.2 of your petition, you claim our client sexually harassed you on December 8, 2023, during your visit to his residence in Akwa Ibom State. For ease of reference, a copy of your petition highlighting the relevant part is attached.
“However, just one day later, on December 9, 2023, you posted warm, celebratory massages about our client on your social account (Instagram and X/Twitter). In these posts, you expressed admiration and personal affection towards him. Copies of these post from Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) are attached to this letter with relevant portion.
“The timeline and dates are so contradictory. On the one hand, you complain about sexual harassment on December 8, 2023, yet on the other, you praise Senator Akpabio who you alleged sexually harassed you on December 9, 2023. The juxtaposition of these two events,an alleged traumatic harassment followed by voluntary, public expression of admiration requires care consideration.”
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