Some civil society organisations have said the sexual harassment allegations leveled against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, were politically motivated.
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, had alleged that the Senate president made sexual advances toward her.
She made the allegation when she appeared on national television.
However, the civil societies comprising: Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON); Tinubu/Shettima Support Movement (TSSM) and Nigerian Professionals in Diaspora (NPID) noted that the accusation, by Akpoti-Uduaghan, is not an isolated incident but part of a broader scheme by anti- All Progressives Congress (APC) forces who see Akpabio’s cordial relationship with President Bola Tinubu as a threat to their selfish ambitions.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, National Coordinator the Tinubu/Shettima Support Movement (TSSM), Tijani Danjuma, said that the allegation was a calculated political attack aimed at removing Senator Akpabio as Senate President because of his strong support for President Tinubu’s policies.
He said: “We stand before you today to address the recent false sexual harassment allegation against the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, a claim that is nothing more than a politically motivated attack aimed at tarnishing his reputation and destabilizing the Senate leadership.
“This baseless accusation, orchestrated by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is not an isolated incident but part of a broader scheme by anti-APC forces who see Akpabio’s cordial relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a threat to their selfish ambitions.
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“This repeated pattern of using false sexual harassment claims for political gain and media attention is alarming. Her latest accusation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio is another desperate attempt to discredit a respected leader who has shown unwavering commitment to national stability and governance.
“We firmly believe that this accusation is a calculated political attack aimed at removing Senator Akpabio as Senate President because of his strong support for President Tinubu’s policies.
“Those who see Senator Akpabio’s good working relationship with President Tinubu as a threat want to remove him. His leadership has ensured stability and progress in the Senate, which some opposition elements are uncomfortable with.”
The civil society organizations demanded a full-scale investigation into the false allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
They also urged Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan to provide concrete evidence or face legal consequences for defamation.