Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed the sexual harassment allegations made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that the claims have caused significant distress to both him and the Senate as a whole.
The controversy began after Akpoti-Uduaghan publicly accused Akpabio of making inappropriate advances towards her. The allegations surfaced amid changes to her seating position and committee assignments, fueling tensions within the legislative body.
On March 6, the Senate took action by suspending Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, citing violations of Senate standing orders.
According to the ethics committee, the suspension was not related to her sexual harassment claims but was a result of her refusal to sit in her assigned position, speaking without recognition, and making remarks deemed inappropriate about Senate leadership.
Speaking at an International Women’s Day event, Akpabio addressed the issue, saying the accusations were baseless and had tarnished the Senate’s image.
“It is only yesterday that I realised that what we are talking about only happened when there was a change of seat. That is when hell was let loose, and all sorts of allegations came up, only after the change of seat and change of committee, which my Senators know to happen from time to time.”
He questioned the impact such claims have had, stating, “Have you ever wondered about the trauma caused by that same woman on the other people she has accused in the past? None has been proven so far. Do you even wonder about the trauma this caused to the 10th Senate and the image of the Senate with all these useless allegations?”
Akpabio also questioned the timing of the allegations, pointing out that they only emerged after changes were made to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s committee roles and seating arrangements.
“This is said to have happened on December 8, a day before my birthday, which was celebrated in the Stadium in 2023. So from the 8th of December 2023, I never heard, my wife never heard, no Nigerian ever heard, even the husband never heard any issue of sexual harassment until her committee was changed and then her seat was changed,” he stated.
In her formal complaint, Akpoti-Uduaghan referenced past allegations against Akpabio, particularly those made by Dr. Joi Nunieh, the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in 2020.
Nunieh had accused Akpabio of similar misconduct when he was Minister of Niger Delta Affairs—allegations that he has consistently denied.
The Senate’s ethics committee, however, dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition, citing a procedural violation. According to Senate Order 40(4), senators are not permitted to submit petitions signed by themselves.
“Look at these beautiful women. They have come across me so many times. Have I ever harassed any one of you? Or is the person thinking that you are not beautiful?”
