Senate President Godswill Akpabio has firmly denied Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations of sexual harassment, dismissing them as baseless and politically motivated.
Speaking at an International Women’s Day event, he suggested that her claims emerged in response to recent changes in her Senate seat and committee assignment, implying a political motive behind the accusations.
It was only yesterday that I realized that these allegations arose after a change of seat and committee. That is when hell broke loose, and all sorts of accusations were made,” Akpabio stated.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio noted that the alleged incident supposedly occurred on December 8, 2023, a day before his birthday. He questioned why neither his wife nor the public heard any such claims at the time.
“From December 8, 2023, until now, I never heard anything, my wife never heard anything, no Nigerian heard anything, even her husband never heard of any issue of sexual harassment—until her committee was changed, and her seat was reassigned,” he emphasized.
Akpabio emphasized that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously made similar allegations against others, none of which were ever substantiated or proven.
“Have you ever wondered about the trauma caused by this same woman to the other people she has accused? None of those accusations have been proven so far. Do you even consider the damage this has done to the 10th Senate’s image with these baseless allegations?” he questioned.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month Senate suspension has ignited debate, with critics suggesting it aims to silence her allegations. However, Senate President Akpabio defended his integrity, emphasizing his long history of working with women without misconduct accusations.
“Look at these beautiful women. They have interacted with me many times. Have I ever harassed any one of you? Or is it that the person making these allegations thinks you are not beautiful?” he asked.
As the controversy unfolds, many Nigerians debate whether Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was justified or an attempt to suppress her allegations.