Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central, has spoken out against her suspension from the Nigerian Senate, calling it a deliberate attempt to silence her.
Furthermore, in an interview with the BBC, Akpoti-Uduaghan shared her experience, recounting an encounter with Senate President Godswill Akpabio at his home, where he allegedly made suggestive comments and physical advances. She said, ”We were at his country home. He was taking me around his house. My husband was walking behind us. He held my hand.
“He then squeezed my hands in a very suggestive way. We, women, know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way. “And he went, ‘Now that you’re in the Senate, I’ll make an opportunity for us to come here and have a good moment,’ you know, along that line.”
Akpabio’s actions, according to Akpoti-Uduaghan, were not limited to this incident. She recalled another occasion when Akpabio made a comment about her not wearing her wedding ring, asking if it was “an invitation to treat.” These allegations led to her suspension from the Senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct” after a disagreement with Akpabio over seating arrangements.
The Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, denied Akpabio’s involvement in any sexual advances towards Akpoti-Uduaghan and dismissed her claim that the Senate was trying to silence her. However, Akpoti-Uduaghan escalated her dispute with Akpabio by presenting her case at a United Nations forum, calling for international intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.
The Senate defended its decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan, citing violations of Senate rules and legislative misconduct, including refusing to comply with sitting arrangements and engaging in disorderly conduct during plenary sessions. Despite this, many Nigerians believe that her petition was dismissed too quickly, and the Senate’s decision to suspend her raises concerns about due process and an investigation into her allegations.
