Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, are set to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions to address allegations of sexual harassment leveled against Akpabio.
This was confirmed by the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television.
“All the parties involved would appear before the Committee, including the Senate President. He would come and testify and his testimony would be recorded, likewise other senators,” Nwebonyi said.
Senator Natasha, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that the incident occurred in December 2023 when she and her husband visited Akpabio at his residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. According to her, Akpabio allegedly held her hand, led her around the house, and made inappropriate advances in her husband’s presence.
However, Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North, suggested the claims were a distraction and emphasized that the Senate remains unfazed by the accusations.
“In criminal prosecution, there is what we call prima facie evidence, that is evidence on the surface. If there is no prima facie evidence, then there is no case,” he said.“She knows quite alright that what she is saying is to divert attention, but we are not disturbed because we know the truth. On the alleged date of the incident, so many senators were there. I am one of the star witnesses, I will come and tell the world what I saw,” he added.
Following her suspension from the Senate for allegedly violating its rules shortly after submitting her petition, Senator Natasha brought her case to an international platform.
At the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting (IPU) at the United Nations in New York, she called for global intervention, describing her suspension as unjust and illegal.
“I was suspended illegally because I submitted a petition for sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. I thought that by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself and both of us would submit ourselves to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition for a fair, transparent investigation. But unfortunately, I was silenced and I was suspended,” Natasha told the gathering.
“That means I’m here illegally, but I have no other place to go but to come here and speak to you because this is a bigger picture. This is a bigger picture. It depicts the crisis of women’s political representation. My suspension is not just about me. It’s about the systemic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria,” she added.
However , Akpabio has firmly denied the allegations whilst addressing the issue during a plenary session on March 5.
“At no time did I ever harass any woman. I was raised very well by my late single mother, and I have always upheld respect for women. I was even awarded the most gender-friendly governor in Nigeria,” he stated.
Akpabio acknowledged the widespread discussion of the issue on social media and urged the public to avoid making premature judgments, emphasizing that the matter should be left to the courts to decide
