Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied allegations of sexual harassment made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was recently suspended from the Senate for six months.
Speaking at an event for International Women’s Day, Akpabio stated that the claims were false and accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of causing unnecessary distress to him and the Senate.
Akpabio, who has faced widespread criticism over the suspension, claimed that he was not the first person to be accused by the Kogi Central senator. He noted that her previous allegations against others had never been proven.
The controversy surrounding her suspension has sparked reactions from political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Both politicians urged the Senate to ensure that women in politics are not subjected to unfair treatment.
However, Akpabio insisted that the allegations were politically motivated. He explained that the issue only surfaced after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s committee and Senate seat were changed, which he described as a normal occurrence in the legislature.
“It is only yesterday that I realised that what we are talking about only happened when there was a change of seat. That is when hell was let loose, and all sorts of allegations came up, only after the change of seat and change of committee, which my Senators know to happen from time to time,” Akpabio said.
He further stated that the alleged incident supposedly occurred on December 8, 2023, a day before his birthday, but he never heard any accusations until months later. He questioned why the allegations only surfaced after the committee change, suggesting that they were fabricated.
Akpabio also spoke about the impact of the accusations on the Senate, stating that such claims harm the institution’s reputation.
“Have you ever wondered about the trauma caused by that same woman on the other people she has accused in the past? None has been proven so far. Do you even wonder about the trauma this caused to the 10th Senate and the image of the Senate with all these useless allegations? I have refrained myself from making a statement,” he said.
