No Petition Before Senate On Akpabio’s Alleged Sexual Harassment, Says Spokesman

Those waiting for an investigation into Senator Natasha Apoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio may have to wait a little longer.

The reason is that there is no petition on the alleged sexual harassment before the Red Chamber, its spokesman Adeyemi Adaramodu told newsmen yesterday.

Adaramodu was reacting to calls for an investigation into the allegation by the Kogi Central senator.

The Pan-North socio-political organisation – Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) – yesterday joined some commentators calling for an open and transparent probe.

During a chat on a national television at the weekend, the senator alleged that she was being victimised by the Senate President for refusing his sexual advances towards her.

Akpabio’s wife, Nnoma, denied the allegations and filed a N250 billion defamation suit against Mrs. Apoti-Uduaghan.

However, responding to a question last night, Adaramodu said there is no complaint about sexual harassment before the Senate from Mrs. Apoti-Uduaghan or any other person whatsoever to warrant an investigation.

He said: “There is no allegation before the Senate. There is none from anybody for that matter. So we don’t pick allegations on television screen or from social media.

“So, nobody has lodged any allegation with anybody or anyone in the Senate.

“So, the only issue that is on ground is the breach of the Standing Orders which has been referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions.

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“And I don’t think there’s any other petition or any other complaint before the head committee. So, you will not be… that means there is nothing to refer to the ethics committee again?

“Unless if anybody brings anything up. So it will be dealt with accordingly. So, for now there is none than the one that we have referred.

“So, we can be hearing so many things from outside, but within the Senate, no allegation against anybody, no complaints from anybody and no case has been presented to us.”

Also yesterday, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, corroborated the Senate spokesman’s claim, insisting that the Senate cannot probe allegations not before it.

Eyiboh said: “For example, she went to court. There is nowhere in her statement of claims that the issue of sexual harassment is mentioned.

“There is no way from what is in public domain now and there has never been any time she has brought this to the attention of the Senate on points of privilege that she has been sexually harassed.

“It’s only a visitor or a first-timer or a stranger who visits his or her guests that is introduced, is taken around the house or taken around the compound.

“But somebody who is a familiar person in that household may have been taken around the first time he or she came.

“It’s very strange and sad that we are hearing that Senator Natasha and the husband, their family is very close to the family of the Senator, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate president. They have been visiting each other. It’s not hidden.

“So, is it just in 2023 during Senator Akpabio’s birthday that they were conducted around; all along, the families were all bonding and getting on together, visiting each other. They didn’t know the house.