Major opposition parties in the country on Sunday called on the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to immediately step down from his seat to give room for a transparent investigation into the sexual harassment allegations levied against him by the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Pitching their tents with leading opposition figures, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the Peoples Democratic Party, New Nigeria People’s Party and the Obidient Movement of the Labour Party, on Sunday, urged Akpabio to respect the Senate by stepping aside to ensure an impartial investigation into the allegation against him.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had in an interview last week linked her recent face-off with Akpabio on the floor of the Senate to her refusal to yield to alleged sexual advances from Akpabio.
In an interview with Arise Television on Friday, the Kogi lawmaker accused Akapbio of turning against her because she declined to yield to his sexual advances.
Her conflict with Akpabio began on Tuesday when she discovered her seat in the Senate had been changed.
She expressed her frustration, leading to a temporary disruption during plenary.
Following the incident, Akpoti-Uduaghan was referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.
The committee, headed by Senator Neda Imaseun (LP, Edo South) has two weeks to report back to the Senate for further actions.
During her appearance on Arise Television, she explained, “My issue with Akpabio started on December 8, 2023, when myself (sic) 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 wanted me to come and spend 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. My case is a case of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him.”
While the Senate President has yet to respond to the allegation, his wife, Ekaette, denounced the Kogi senator and filed a defamation lawsuit against Natasha.
In response, Natasha’s husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan-Akpoti, expressed support for his wife, revealing that despite his intervention, Akpabio had continued to harass her.
Although Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, downplayed some of the issues raised by Natasha, both camps have continued to fire salvos, pointing accusing fingers at each other.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the scandal in the Senate as an embarrassment, noting that important issues requiring the Red Chamber’s attention were being overlooked.
He said, “We do believe that when you are accusing Senator Akpabio of this, it would be appropriate for the Senate President to step aside for now to allow for a proper investigation. Senator Akpabio should step aside and allow for the investigation because he cannot be a judge in his own case.
“We, as a party, believe that women should have their rights and that discrimination against anybody, particularly women, based on being a woman, is unacceptable and unconstitutional.”
According to the publicity scribe, there is a need for the Senate, as a revered institution, to look itself in the mirror, do the right thing and save the country from unnecessary embarrassment.
“We do know that the Senate itself would have a duty to look into these issues and those allegations and deal with them appropriately. But beyond all of that, I think it’s an embarrassment for this nation. There are big problems. There are bigger issues. There are bigger issues for the Senate to deal with.
“The Senate President ought to be challenged by those problems in the country. Indeed, the issues raised are very concerning, particularly when it comes to those allegations; they need to be investigated.
“We do know that the Senate has a process for looking into such matters because, again, this has reached a level where it’s embarrassing for the nation. But it just goes to show you the level of issues within the All Progressives Congress and the structures and the leaders in the APC.
“We would have expected that even the Senate by now should have acted in such a way as to address that unnecessary distraction from these real matters of state. Senator Akpabio has a duty to himself, to the country, and to the institution of the Senate to ensure that the truth comes out. And if indeed he wants a clear and genuine investigation, then an investigation into the matter should be carried out,” Ologunagba added.
Similarly, the New Nigeria People’s Party and the Obidient Movement have backed the call for Akpabio to step aside for a proper probe to be conducted into the allegation levelled against him by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Oladipo Johnson, endorsed the demand for an unbiased probe into the sexual harassment case.
Johnson told our correspondent in an exclusive interview that it was the right thing to do.
He said, “When you have something like this, it is normal to have him temporarily step aside for the sake of transparency and to have the matter properly investigated by an independent investigator.”
Similarly, a chieftain of the Labour Party and the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, reinforced the call for a credible investigation of the allegation.
“It is about the integrity of the Senate and the man presiding the office in question. The office must be protected. That is my major concern. I don’t have anything personal against Akpabio.
“It will be disappointing if the matter is allowed to die like that. We want people to come clean on the state of things. He must also be allowed to defend himself against the allegation,” he stated.
The All Progressives Congress insisted it was a matter for the Senate to handle, adding that it would not intervene in the controversy.
In separate interviews with The PUNCH, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, insisted that it is a matter only the legislative arm can resolve.
Basiru argued that the ruling party could not get involved in the matter, hinging his argument on the fact that Akpabio’s accuser was not a member of the APC.
“It is not a party matter. It is a matter for the legislative arm, and Natasha is not our member. Our member possibly may not behave the way she’s behaving, but she’s not our member. So we don’t want to get ourselves involved in the matter.
“As far as I’m concerned, SP (Senate President) is competent to defend himself against any allegation. He is competent to do so, and the matter that has to do with legislative privileges will be taken up at the Senate. A matter that has to do with defamation will be taken up at local courts.
“So, it is not a party issue as far as we are concerned. It would have been an issue possibly if both of them were to be our party members. But she is not a member of our party, and it’s not a party matter. It is a strictly legislative and legal matter for which proper legal action will be taken against anybody that is infringing the law,” he stated.
Duru also echoed the same sentiment, saying, “They have ways and means to handle such matters, including the one that is in question between the two parties. It should be dealt with comprehensively by the National Assembly.”
