Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Accuses Senate President Akpabio Of Retaliation Over Rejected Advances
Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of victimizing her in the Senate for rejecting his alleged advances.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Friday, February 28, 2024, Akpoti-Uduaghan detailed an encounter at Akpabio’s residence in Uyo during his birthday celebration.
“When we were at his house in Uyo for his birthday, he held my hand and offered to show me around. My husband was walking behind us. At a particular sitting room, he asked, ‘Do you like my house?’ I replied, ‘Of course, sir.’ Then he said, ‘Now that you are a senator, I want us to come here at your convenience to spend time. You will enjoy it,’” she alleged.
She likened her situation to that of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him.
“Later, on the floor of the Senate, I attempted to raise a motion regarding corrupt practices at the Ajaokuta Steel Company. I listed this motion five times, and it was only on the sixth occasion that it appeared on the order paper. When I approached the Senate President to enquire why my motion had been repeatedly stepped down, he told me ‘Natasha, I am the Chief Presiding officer of the Senate. You can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me and make me happy.’ At that point, I told him that I would pretend I didn’t hear that.
Speaking further, Akpoti-Uduaghan said some senators had warned her to adhere to the seat change because it was a trap.
She added, “I was approached by a sergeant-at-arms in the Senate chamber who informed me that my seat had been changed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. This was news to me because I had attended the last session and had not been informed of any changes. Before the Senate President could announce my suspension, I needed to invoke Order 10, which serves as an SOS for Senators who feel their rights have been breached. The Senate President made a mistake by not allowing me to speak on that Order 10.”
The accusations come amid Senate disciplinary actions against her. On February 20, she disrupted plenary by rejecting her assigned seat and repeatedly raising a point of order despite being overruled. Following this, the Senate referred her to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.
Tensions flared after Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno informed Akpabio that Akpoti-Uduaghan had refused to move to a new seat assigned to her, following the defection of two opposition senators to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Monguno, citing Orders 24 and 6, asserted that it was within the Senate President’s discretion to reassign senators’ seats. He further argued that a senator could only speak from their designated seat and that Akpabio had the authority to bar contributions from an unassigned position.
Akpoti-Uduaghan swiftly objected, rising in protest under Order 10, claiming her privileges had been breached. However, the Senate President directed that she be removed from the chamber, intensifying the standoff
However, in a statement on her X page, Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted she would only appear before the committee if the hearing was public and not behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, the senator has filed a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit against Akpabio and his legislative aide, Mfon Patrick, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court. She is demanding that they withdraw the alleged defamatory statements and issue a public apology in a national newspaper.
Akpabio has not yet responded publicly to the allegations.
