Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said that the sexual harassment allegation made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP/Kogi Central) traumatised the entire Senate.
On March 6, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for flouting its rules after her seating position and committee were changed. The Kogi lawmaker also went on TV and accused Akpabio of victimising her because she refused his sexual advances.
However, speaking at an event on Saturday to commemorate International Women’s Day, Akpabio raised concerns that he was merely her latest victim, saying previous allegations by Akpoti-Uduaghan turned out to be false.
He said, ‘’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.
“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.
“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? I have refrained myself from making a statement.
“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?”
In 2020, former acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh, accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
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