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Tag: Akpabio and Natasha

  • Alleged sexual harassment: Akpabio slams N200b suit on Natasha

    Alleged sexual harassment: Akpabio slams N200b suit on Natasha

    • I now have chance to prove how I was harassed, says Akpoti-Uduaghan

    Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed a N200 billion defamation suit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over allegations that he sexually harassed her. The lawsuit, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is accompanied by Motion No. M/12725/2025 and seeks substantial damages, public apologies, and removal of all online content containing the allegations.

    Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed receipt of the suit in a statement posted on Thursday, saying:

    “Today being the 5th day of December, 2025, I’m in receipt of the newly instituted 200 billion naira suit against me by Senator Godswill Akpabio claiming defamation on sexual harassment.”

    She said she welcomed the development, noting that the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges had previously declined to hear her petition.

    According to her: “Now, I am glad that Sen. Akpabio has brought this up because the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges failed to grant me audience in this issue relying on the fact that Godswill Akpabio’s wife had instituted a defamatory case against me. Therefore they couldn’t attend to a matter already in court.”

    Court filings seen on Thursday show that Akpabio accuses the Kogi Central senator of granting interviews and making public statements on television, radio, and online that portrayed him as a predator who exploited his position for personal gratification. The Senate President argues that the allegations were widely consumed by “millions of Nigerians,” causing what he describes as severe reputational damage, humiliation, and distress.

    The suit demands: retractions across media platforms, removal of all online materials containing the allegations, public apology broadcasts across major media outlets for consecutive days and N200 billion in damages.

    According to court documents, Akpabio filed an ex parte application in December seeking permission to serve the suit through substituted means after attempts to serve Akpoti-Uduaghan directly were unsuccessful.

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    Justice Kekemeke granted the request, allowing the claimant to serve all originating and subsequent court processes, including hearing notices, through the Clerk of the National Assembly or any staff in the Clerk’s office at the Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

    The court order reads in part: “AN ORDER of the Honourable Court granting leave to the Claimant/Applicant to serve the Originating Processes… by delivering same to the Clerk of the National Assembly, or any staff in the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly… AN ORDER …deeming the said mode of service of the processes on the Defendant as good and proper service.”

    Akpoti-Uduaghan, in her statement, said Senate rules initially prevented her from taking the matter to court because she was required to first present her complaint before the Senate Ethics Committee.

    “Albeit, I couldn’t proceed to court because by senate rules, I must still present my case before the Ethics committee (same committee that recommended my illegal suspension),” she said.

    She added that the lawsuit now gives her the opportunity to present her allegations formally:

    “Alas, I now have a chance to prove how I was sexually harassed and how my refusal to give into his demands unleashed series of unprovoked and unprecedented attacks on my person.”

    Ending her statement, she declared: “See you in court Godswill Akpabio. Senator Natasha H Akpoti Uduaghan, Kogi Central.”

    The case Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/3356/2025 is expected to proceed in the coming weeks and is already shaping up to be one of the most closely watched legal battles in Nigeria’s recent political history.

  • Akpabio said my waist would make good movements, says Natasha in fresh allegation

    Akpabio said my waist would make good movements, says Natasha in fresh allegation

    There seems to be no end in sight in the face-off between the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    In the midst of the dust raised by Akpoti Uduaghan’s allegation of sexual harassment against Akpabio, following her suspension from the Senate on March 6 for gross misconduct and unruly behaviour over the rearrangement of seats in the upper chamber, the Kogi senator has again claimed that the Senate President repeatedly threw suggestive and lewd comments her way.

    In an interview with the BBC, Akpoti-Uduaghan restated that the “gross misconduct” on which her suspension was premised was a smokescreen to silence her.

    She said Akpabio frequently made sexual advances towards her in and out of the Senate chamber — and sometimes before other senators.

    She alleged that Akpabio would “squeeze my hands in a very suggestive way.

    “There was a time I forgot to wear my ring because I rushed to work. And there were about five senators there. And Akpabio said, ‘Oh, Natasha, you are not wearing your ring… is this an invitation to treat?”

    “There was another time he made a statement like ‘Natasha, your husband is really enjoying. It looks like you’d be able to make good movements with your waist’.

    “He makes such sexist statements. And then they (other senators) all laughed.”

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    Akpoti-Uduaghan broke down in tears when the interviewer asked what impact her victim shaming and intimidation claims have had on her.

    “People don’t understand what it means to carry this. Maybe we don’t talk about it enough in Nigeria or Africa,” the senator said in between sobs.

    “I just want a place where I would just work. I thought the worst was over, but I guess for a woman, it’s never really over, right?”

    She, however, added that the positive is that some female parliamentarians from across Africa had been ringing her up to encourage her — and to say they face similar sexually charged, male dominated environments in their respective workplaces.

    Court bars INEC from receiving recall petition against Natasha

    Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has issued an interim injunction stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving petitions to initiate a recall process against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    Also, on Friday, a Kenyan lawmaker, Senator Crystal Asige, called for support for Akpoti-Uduaghan seeking justice over alleged sexual harassment by the Senate President.

    The alleged move to recall the suspended senator had gained momentum on Thursday, with some groups and individuals in her constituency believed to be supporting the process.

    The court, which gave the order on Thursday, also restricted INEC staff, agents, privies, or assigns from accepting or acting on any petition containing signatures of purported members of the Kogi Central Senatorial District and from conducting any referendum pending the determination of the motion on notice to the same effect.

    According to the court order made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the court granted the application following an ex-parte application for an interim injunction supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency.

    The court processes were sworn to by Anebe Jacob Ogirima for himself and four others who are registered voters and constituents of the Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

    However, the application was moved by Smart Nwachimere, Esq., of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co., while the case was adjourned till May 6, 2025, for a report of service and further mention.

    Kenyan Senator Crystal Asige, who spoke at a pre-event press conference for a colloquium organised by the Haske Satumari Foundation, described sexual harassment of the female gender as systemic and called for a change of mindset in Africa to eliminate the menaces.

    The visually impaired Senator Asige, who was in Abuja as a keynote speaker at the colloquium with theme “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice” billed to take place on Saturday at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, called for affirmative legislations in African countries to allow for diversity and inclusion of women and persons living with disabilities to be in parliaments.

    Responding to a question on how to curb incidences of sexual harassment in politics, Senator Asige said: “Yes, you are correct. I’ve been following your news very keenly and harassment for women is unfortunately almost a daily occurrence.

    “Personally, yes, I have gone through experiences where I have been propositioned or suggestions have been made to me and so on and so forth.

    “But I think because of who I am and how I’ve been brought up and I have found ways to try and maneuver through them.

    “I believe that it’s an issue that is really systemic because of patriarchy and how men have been led to believe that they are the ones who should sit at the head of the table, for example.

    “’You are the man of the house.  The girls should sit in the kitchen and the boys should be the ones to participate in day-to-day life, for example.’

    “So, we teach this to our societies from a very young age and then it culminates in some sort of a power trip. Some people take that on as a power, sort of like a tactic and, unfortunately, I have gone through that.”