The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has come under fire after the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accused him of sexual harassment and intimidation.
While Akpabio denied the allegation, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar demanded investigation by an independent panel.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is the Senator representing Kogi Central, had linked her recent ordeal in the Senate to her refusal to accept sexual advances from Akpabio.
The lawmaker, who made headlines this week after a public disagreement with the Senate President, revealed this during an interview on Arise Television on Friday.
Her latest dispute with Akpabio began when she discovered that her seating position in the Red Chamber had been changed without her knowledge. She voiced her frustration, causing a temporary disruption in legislative proceedings.
Following the incident, she was referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.
The committee, led by Senator Neda Imaseun (LP, Edo South) was given two weeks to report back to the House for further actions.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, while fighting back, slammed a N100bn suit on Akpabio for alleged defamation.
The suit was filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, with Akpabio and his senior legislative aide,Mfon Patrick, listed as second to third defendants, respectively.
In the suit, the lawmaker through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, referred to Akpabio’s words published by his aide on his Facebook page with the title, ‘Is local content committee of the senate Natasha’s birthright?’ where he said the claimant thought being a lawmaker was all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.
Giwa alleged that the statement was defamatory, provocative and disparaging, and lowered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s dignity in the eyes of her colleagues and right-thinking members of the public.
On Friday, the lawmaker took the matter to another level when on Arise Television’s Morning Show she blamed her troubles in the Senate on her refusal to sleep with the Senator President.
She said, “My issue with Akpabio started on December 8, 2023, when my husband and I attended a pre-birthday invitation extended by the Senate President at his residence in Uyo. We had earlier gone to his house at Ikot-Ekpene, and he held my hand and said he wanted to show me around his house. Just the three of us, my husband and him. I noticed he hastened his pace while still holding my hand, and he got to this particular sitting room.
“He asked, ‘Do you like my house?’ and I replied, ‘Of course yes,’ and he said, ‘Now that you are a Senator, you are going to create time for us to spend quality time here and you will enjoy it.’
“Later, on the floor of the Senate, I attempted to raise a motion regarding corrupt practices at the Ajaokuta Steel Company. I listed this motion five times, and it was only on the sixth occasion that it appeared on the order paper.
“When I approached the Senate President to enquire why my motion had been repeatedly stepped down, he told me,‘Natasha, I am the chief presiding officer of the Senate. You can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me and make me happy.’ At that point, I told him that I would pretend I didn’t hear that. My case is a case of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him.”
She added that her colleagues had cautioned her to adhere to the seat allocation because it was a ploy.
“I was approached by a sergeant-at-arms in the Senate chamber who informed me that my seat had been changed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. This was news to me because I had attended the last session and had not been informed of any changes. Before the Senate President could announce my suspension, I needed to invoke Order 10, which serves as an SOS for Senators who feel their rights have been breached. The Senate President made a mistake by not allowing me to speak on Order 10.”
In response, Atiku called the allegation serious, emphasising the need for a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation.
The former Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party stated, “Like millions of Nigerians, I watched with deep concern this morning as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan raised serious allegations of sexual harassment, intimidation, and mistreatment against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. These allegations are grave and deserve a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation.
“The Nigerian Senate represents the voice of the people. Those who serve in it — especially its leadership — must uphold the highest standards of integrity, dignity, and respect, both for their office and for the Nigerian citizens they serve.
“As the third most powerful figure in the country, the Senate President should embody unimpeachable character.”
Atiku urged President Bola Tinubu and the Senate to treat the allegations with seriousness and ensure a credible, transparent, and independent investigation.
The statement added, “Sexual harassment in the workplace is a significant barrier to women’s advancement and, by extension, the nation’s progress. Allegations of such misconduct should never be simply dismissed, particularly when they involve a public officer with immense power, influence, and responsibility.
“As the chief presiding officer of the Upper Chamber, the Senate President has a duty to champion the protection and empowerment of Nigerian women through legislation — not to be the subject of allegations that undermine those very principles.
“The handling of this matter will send a strong message about Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability, and the inclusion of women in governance.”
He emphasised that with only four women serving in the Senate, it was crucial to create an environment where female lawmakers could work without fear of harassment or intimidation.
The media consultant to the Senate President, Kenny Okulogbo, described the allegation as a tissue of lies.
Okulogbo said the lawmaker was angry because she was removed as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content.
He said, “All that Senator Natasha said are all tissues of lies. She is just angry because she was removed as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content.”
Also, the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Ekaette Akpabio, said the allegation against her husband was false and unfounded.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Mrs Akpabio defended her husband’s character, stating that he was a disciplinarian who respected women.
“There is no way that a man as disciplined as that can think of taking a woman to his home. He has a lot of respect for me and the children. In Akwa Ibom, when he was a governor, a lot of women were involved in governance, and none of them ever said something like this. The senate president is a very responsible and disciplined man,” she said.
On her part, the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, appeared to have pitched her tent with Akpabio, stating that compared with other female lawmakers in the Senate, the Kogi legislator enjoyed more privileges.
Speaking on Friday as a guest of Arise TV, the Labour Party lawmaker said, “Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules. And as women, we did not want to come out publicly to say anything negative about her; we were hoping all of this would blow over, as a lot of things do. The Senate is not a place where we are supposed to fight over trivialities like seating arrangements.
“This is about the rules of the Senate. So, I can point out that other women have been moved several times. On that day, I wasn’t there, but I gathered that several men were also moved.”
While noting that though the Senate is “not gender friendly,” it had improved.
“The truth of the matter is, when we make a fuss and draw the attention of the Senate President, he corrects it. Truly, the Senate can do better than it’s doing, but there’s hardly anything that’s been done to us that’s not done to the men.
“The truth is, Senator Natasha has got the most privileges among all four of us (female senators). The seat I sit on now has been moved four times. I want women to know that we have to follow the rules of the institution we chose to enter.”
On the sexual harassment allegation, Kingibe said she was not close to Akpabio to speak on the matter.
“I collected some documents for Senator Natasha, informed her and went to her house. She told me that she was supposed to discuss something with Akpabio but said that he asked her to meet him at a hotel,” Kingibe added.
Meanwhile, a former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has called for caution.
“It’s unfortunate that the Senate issue was simply about seat and now about bed. Need for caution and restraint,” he wrote on X on Friday.
Similarly, rights activist Aisha Yesufu posted on her verified X handle to call for the safety of women in the workplace.
“From #SexForGrades to #SexForMotion. When will Nigerian women be safe?,” she asked.
