By Ayomide Otitoju
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing 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.
The Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, disclosed this development during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Friday. Nwebonyi confirmed that other lawmakers would also provide testimonies regarding the alleged incident.
“All the parties involved would appear before the committee, including the Senate President. He will testify, and his testimony will be recorded, just as other senators will also present their accounts,” Nwebonyi stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that the harassment occurred in December 2023 when she and her husband visited Akpabio’s residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. She claimed that the Senate President held her hand, led her around his house, and made inappropriate advances in the presence of her husband.
However, Nwebonyi dismissed the allegations, asserting that they were an attempt to divert attention from other matters. He emphasized that without prima facie evidence, the case would not hold.
“In criminal prosecution, there must be prima facie evidence—evidence on the surface. If there is none, there is no case,” Nwebonyi stated. “She knows 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, many senators were present. I am one of the star witnesses and will testify to what I saw.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan Takes Case to Global Stage
Following her suspension from the Senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan took her case to the international stage, speaking at the Women in Parliament session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting at the United Nations in New York. She denounced her suspension as illegal and as part of systemic efforts to silence female political leaders in Nigeria.
“I was suspended illegally because I submitted a petition for sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. I expected that by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself, and we would both submit to an independent investigation. Instead, I was silenced and suspended,” she stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that her suspension was not just a personal issue but a broader reflection of gender-based political exclusion in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Akpabio has denied the allegations, insisting he has always upheld respect for women. He urged Nigerians and the media to avoid jumping to conclusions as the case unfolds.
