Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions over allegations of sexual harassment.
Senate Deputy Chief Whip Onyekachi Nwebonyi confirmed this on Politics Today on Channels Television, stating.
“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.”
Natasha, a PDP senator, alleged that during a visit to Akpabio’s Uyo residence in December 2023, he held her hand, led her around his house, and made inappropriate advances in her husband’s presence.
Nwebonyi dismissed the claims, stating, “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.”
Days after filing her petition, Natasha was suspended for violating Senate rules. Speaking at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting at the UN, she called her suspension “illegal” and said, “My suspension is not just about me. It’s about the systemic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria.”
Akpabio denied the allegations, stating, “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.”
He urged Nigerians and the media not to jump to conclusions, as the matter is under investigation.
