Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on Wednesday submitted an affidavit to the Senate Ethics Committee as supporting evidence in her petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, has launched a scathing attack on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, questioning her past allegations and personal life.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on Wednesday submitted an affidavit to the Senate Ethics Committee as supporting evidence in her petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
She had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, abuse of office, and obstruction of legislative duties.
In the affidavit, the suspended senator quoted Akpabio to have said, “Natasha, I am the Chief Presiding Officer of the Senate and you can enjoy a whole lot from me if you take care of me and make me happy.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan lamented that her petition was initially rejected by the Senate, prompting her constituent, Mr. Suberu Azamare Yakubu, to present it on her behalf.
The affidavit, obtained by the media, details an alleged incident that occurred on December 8, 2023, during a visit to Akpabio’s country home in Akwa Ibom State.
However, speaking in an interview with News Central on Wednesday, Nwaebonyi dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims of sexual harassment, saying that “it is high time we come hard on her”.
He referenced an accusation she made against former presidential aide Reno Omokri during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He argued that Omokri was not even in Nigeria at the time, implying that the allegations were baseless.
Nwaebonyi stated that his criticism was not solely about defending the Senate President but also about safeguarding “future victims” of such alleged conduct. He went on to question how many husbands Akpoti-Uduaghan has had, seemingly using her marital history to shame her.
He said, “She accused Reno Omokri of sexual harassment during the time of Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, even though the young man was already in the U.S. attending to national matters. Unfortunately for her, she did not know that he was outside the country.
“At the slightest provocation, she comes out with allegations of sexual harassment. I don’t know what is wrong with this lady. Does she think she is the most beautiful woman on earth? Or is it because she has a chocolate complexion?
“In my assessment, she is not among the most beautiful women in Nigeria. And it is high time we come hard on her.
“People like us are speaking out, not just to protect and defend the Senate President, but to protect and defend her future victims. Even her current husband—she forced him into marriage by threatening to sue him.”
It was earlier reported that Senator Nwaebonyi defended his widely condemned verbal altercation with former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili during a heated exchange at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The clash, described as a “show of shame”, occurred during a hearing by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which was deliberating on a petition by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Akpabio.
During the proceedings, tensions flared when Nwaebonyi was heard hurling derogatory remarks at Ezekwesili, referring to her as an “insult to womanhood” and a “hooligan.”
Nwaebonyi’s heated and disrespectful verbal exchange with Ezekwesili, an advocate for transparency and good governance, was captured in a widely circulated video.
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