Akapbio punishing me because I refused to sleep with him – Senator Natasha

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment. The lawmaker who has dominated the headlines over her spat with the senate president made the claim on ARISE TV, on Friday. Daily Trust had reported how the Kogi Senator had a heated argument with Akpabio after discovering that her […]

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

The lawmaker who has dominated the headlines over her spat with the senate president made the claim on ARISE TV, on Friday.

Daily Trust had reported how the Kogi Senator had a heated argument with Akpabio after discovering that her seat was changed without her consent.

She was subsequently referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, for disciplinary review.

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Chaired by Senator Neda Imaseun (LP, Edo South), the committee was given two weeks to report back on its findings.

This followed a voice vote after lawmakers revisited the controversy surrounding the issue, with lawmakers underpinning the need to uphold parliamentary rules and decorum.

Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed a N100.3 billion fundamental human rights suit against Akpabio.

In her interview on Friday, the lawmaker said she had evidence against Akpabio, stating that her husband is also a witness.

She said she had printed screenshots of conversations between her and Akpabio, challenging the Department of State Services (DSS) to extract details of their conversation “because he was always calling me on WhatsApp.”

She said: “My issue with Akpabio started on 8th of December, 2023 when myself and my husband visited Akwa Ibom for Senator Akpabio’s birthday. Akpabio was showing me around his house and was holding my hands with my husband following behind us when he said, he wants me to come and be spending special moments in his house. My husband heard him and later told me not to travel abroad alone or be with the Senate President alone.

“In February, I wanted to move a motion for the investigation on the ills of the corrupt practice in a Ajaokuta steel company. I listed that motion five times. It was the sixth time that it was listed on the order paper that was approved. Many senators can testify to that.

“Before the motion made the order paper, I went to the Senate President in his office, and I said, Senate President,’ you know how important this Ajaokuta Steel Company is to me, you know how important it is to my people and to Nigerians. I’ve noticed that you have stepped down this motion’. As a matter of fact, a number of senators told me to see him and plead with him so that he would take it. I was like, ‘sir, please, why can’t you take this motion? It’s very important’  Then, it was listed the third time and stepped down.

“He then said, ‘Natasha, I’m the Chief presiding officer of the Senate, you can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me. Make me happy’. At that point, I said, ‘Sir, I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear this’. He said, ‘well, the ball is in your court’. I left his office

“My case is a case of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him.”

Akpabio’s media aide, Jackson Udom, did not answer multiple calls from Daily Trust on Friday morning.