Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator from Kogi Central, has insisted that her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio were the direct cause of her suspension.
According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, who described her suspension as what she saw as a deliberate attempt to quiet her, Akpabio told her she had to “please him” in order to enjoy her rights as a senator in a recent interview with Sky News.
She said’ “I made an allegation of s3xual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on the fifth day of March 2025 and the very next day, I was suspended for six months. I believe my suspension is illegal, it’s unjust, and it’s just a way of silencing me”
She continued; “Yes, they did mention that I was suspended on grounds of gross misconduct, but can they please provide what the gross misconduct is that amounts to a six-month suspension the day after I submitted a petition? I was suspended because of that petition, not because of any gross misconduct.”
“Let’s talk about the gross misconduct that had happened in the Nigerian chambers. I was only told to move, and I refused to move my seat because I deserved to be notified; I deserved to be given a chance to explain why I should retain my seat. You see, I have seen in that chamber where men fight, where Senators throw items at each other, curse each other, shout at each other, but they were not suspended. Why? Because they were men.”
She also stated that she had been subjected to “sexual harassment” by Akpabio for more than a year, and that a campaign of intimidation resulted from her unwillingness to comply with his requests.
According to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, Akpabio allegedly prevented her from bringing up motions and advancing significant measures for her district on multiple occasions. She also claimed that her husband attempted to step in but was unsuccessful.
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