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  • Natasha: Senate spokesman dismisses sexual harassment allegation against Akpabio

    Natasha: Senate spokesman dismisses sexual harassment allegation against Akpabio

    …says Kogi West senator must obey Senate rules

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, has dismissed the sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling them a “storm in a teacup.”

    Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Monday, Adaramodu stated that there is no formal petition from Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions for investigation.

    He emphasized that the Senate would not respond to claims made on television, as its proceedings are strictly conducted within the Red Chamber.

    Adaramodu said: “The Senate does not conduct its affairs based on what is trending on social media.

     “There must be a formal petition or a matter raised before the Senate before any investigation can take place.”

    On the uproar generated by reallocation of seats, Adaramodu said Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan must submit herself to rules of the Senate as a legislator.

    Citing Order 6 of the Senate Standing Orders which vests on the Senate President the power to assign seats to senators, Adaramodu declared that all lawmakers are expected to speak from their designated seats, and any breach of this rule undermines order in the chamber.

    He argued that if a senator follows due process in raising a point of order, no Senate President would deny him or her recognition.

    Read Also: Reps extends deadline for submission of memoranda on state, LG creation

    He equally dismissed insinuation that the President of the Senate could intimidate his colleagues by denying them recognition, saying that all senators are equal in the chamber.

    The Senate spokesman also aligned with his colleagues who rejected the call by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki asking Senator Godswill Akpabio to submit himself to an open probe to clear his name and that of the Senate as an institution from the allegation made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    “There is presently no formal matter before the Senate regarding these allegations.

     “The only issue before the Senate is Senator Natasha’s non-compliance with the standing orders.”

  • Natasha’s sexual harassment case against Akpabio not before senate — Spokesperson

    Natasha’s sexual harassment case against Akpabio not before senate — Spokesperson

    Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the spokesperson for the Senate, has said that the sexual harassment allegation by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is not before the Senate.

     Adaramodu while speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Monday, also maintained that the only case before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition is Akpoti-Uduaghan not complying with the Senate standing orders.

    According to him: “The only matter before the Senate is between Senator Natasha and the rest of the senators, that she is not complying with the standing orders of the Senate. No other issues.

    Read Also: Natasha: No petition about sexual harassment before Senate, says spokesman

    “Then, if there is anything that comes tomorrow about any senator in the National Aseembly, the ethics, privileges and public petition committee will review once it is referred to them. It is going to be taken as an internal affair.

    “In the hallowed chamber, whatever we do or say is not actionable in the court, so because of that, the committee will treat the issue as it comes.

    “The Senate does not run the committee with senators. The Senate President does not even run with its members. It is an independent committee.”

  • Alleged defamation: Akpabio’s wife slams N250bsuit against Natasha

    Alleged defamation: Akpabio’s wife slams N250bsuit against Natasha

    • Senator warns her to keep off feud with Senate President
    • Uduaghan: My wife told me about her interactions with Akpabio
    • Saraki: Probe individuals, protect Senate as an institution

    Wife of the Senate President, Mrs Ekaette Akpabio, has made good her threat to drag Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, to court for accusing her husband of sexual harassment.

    The move followed an allegation leveled by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, that the latter made sexual advances towards her when she made a visit to his Uyo, Akwa Ibom State residence in December 2023.

    The Kogi senator had claimed in an interview on Arise Television on Friday that her recent clash with Akpabio in the upper chamber of the National Assembly stemmed from the 2023 encounter.

    Addressing journalists on Friday, Mrs Akpabio said the allegation of sexual harassment leveled against her husband was fabricated, describing him as a disciplined and jovial man.

    She also threatened to take legal action against Akpoti-Uduaghan for defaming her husband, and has now made good her threat by instituting multiple law suits against the female senator.

    Seeking redress for an act she described as “scandalous and salacious”, Ekaette has filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.

    In the said suit, the wife of the Senate President claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusation had caused her husband and children “emotional and psychological abuse”.

    She also urged the court to issue a restraining order preventing the Kogi Senator from making further spiteful statements that infringe on her fundamental human rights.

    The wife of the Senate President demanded the sum of N250 billion in exemplary, punitive, aggravated and general damages in addition to any other order the court might deem necessary.

    Besides infringing on her fundamental human rights, she said, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s comments severely damaged her reputation and that of her family as it has brought them into disrepute and caused harm to their public standing.

    Ekaette also requested a court order that Akpoti-Uduaghan tenders a public apology, which will be published in two national newspapers.

    For the harm caused by the defamatory statements, Ekaette demanded the sum of N1 billion in punitive and exemplary damages, as well as a perpetual injunction barring Akpoti-Uduaghan from making any further defamatory remarks against her family’s reputation.

    Saraki seeks open probe, protection of Senate

    Former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, yesterday urged the leadership of the red chamber to ensure an open and transparent probe of the allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Akpabio.

    Saraki said in a statement that all parties to the feud must strive to protect the integrity of the Senate as an institution.

    He said the development has made him  sad because of “its overall negative effect on the integrity, sanctity, image and public perception of the institution.”

    “I believe that every person who has had anything to do with the National Assembly, particularly as a leader, member and worker, should always jealously protect these values which make the institution the numero uno among the three arms of government,” he said .

    “It is for these reasons that I believe that the two parties in this dispute and their supporters in and out of the chamber should be mindful of the impact of their actions, inactions, reactions, claims and counter-claims to be sure that nothing is done to rubbish the institution.

    “The constitution, laws of the country, rules of the Senate as well as parliamentary conventions and practices should be adhered to in resolving the issue.

    “And the resolution should be done transparently without being seen to be protective of any of the parties.

    “Rather, the objectives should be to unfold the truth and to protect the law-making institution against a wrong perception of involvement in or tolerance of lawbreaking.

    “At this point, with the public claims made by the Senator, the right measure to take is to institute an open, transparent and honest investigation by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

    “Both parties must submit to the investigation, fully cooperate with the committee and stake their claims before it.

    Read Also: Saraki to Akpabio, Natasha: submit to open probe

    “This is not the first time a Senate President would appear before the Committee to aid it in the conduct of a transparent and open investigation.

    “I remember during the 8th Senate when a Senator claimed that I imported an official car for my use as Senate President and that customs duty was not paid on the vehicle.

    “Since I knew the claim was false, the matter was referred to the Ethics Committee and I appeared before the committee to testify, in the full glare of the media.

    “From my testimony, it was clear the Senator who made the allegation got his facts wrong and was only being mischievous.

     “Also, on the day the committee submitted its report for debate on the floor I stepped down and allowed my deputy to preside.

    “The transparent manner in which the investigation and the debate on the report were handled assured everybody that there was no case.

    “This is a precedent that the leadership of the 10th Senate should follow.”

    ‘My wife confided her interactions with Akpabio to me’ – Chief Uduaghan

     Also yesterday,Natasha’s spouse, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, said his Senator wife  related to him all that transpired between her and the Senate President.

     Uduaghan in a statement on Saturday  said he “considered the Senate President as a family friend” and had  chosen to  approach the matter with ‘maturity’.

     He said ‘ certain sentiments are being stirred up unnecessarily, distracting from the serious underlying allegations, which should concern every discerning individual with sound family values.

     “Without prejudice to the ongoing legal proceedings, I wish to emphasize that my wife was duly elected by her people due to the immense love, respect, and confidence they have in her and she is committed to delivering  quality representation to her district and the nation at large. She is a devoted wife, and the bond we share is deep and unwavering. She has always remained truthful, even in the face of adversity.

     “My wife has confided in me about her interactions with the Senate President, whom I considered a family friend. In response, I approached the matter with the utmost maturity and responsibility, as it is my duty as a traditional leader who has immense respect for constituted authority and upholds core family values, foster peace and harmony. I personally met with the Senate President and respectfully urged him to extend the courtesy and respect my wife deserves, while also honoring the friendship between us. We reached an understanding and agreed to resolve the issue amicably.

     “However, despite this agreement, my wife continues to express concerns about the harassment she has endured from the Senate President.

     “I have unwavering faith in my wife’s loyalty and am fully committed to our marriage, which is grounded in love, compassion, and mutual respect. I would never trade her for anything, as she is the greatest joy of my life.

     “I now respectfully urge the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate President to treat my beloved wife with the respect and dignity she truly deserves while the relevant authorities and the court determine the underlying issues.”

    Omokri:Leave Me Out of The Natasha Akpoti Affair

     Social media influencer,Reno Omokri who claimed he had been  inundated with calls from “almost all major media outlets in Nigeria to interview me about the issues involving the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Natasha Akpoti,”  also spoke.

    His words: “ These media organisations wanted my take, seeing that I was once accused by Senator Natasha Akpoti of the exact grave allegations that she is now accusing the Senate President of.

     “Against my will, I have been trending on various social media platforms, and for the sake of my family, it would be best to put this matter to rest. 

     “Rather than speak with multiple media outlets, perhaps I can ease the pressure on me by putting out this statement.

     “I do not know if what Senator Natasha Akpoti accused the Senate President of is true, as I was not physically present when the alleged events took place.

     “However, I can testify that Senator Natasha Akpoti once had an altercation with me on social media over a post where a woman made advances at me and I rejected her and stated that my wife is a beauty queen and is more than enough for me.

     “Apparently the woman is or was a friend of Senator Akpoti. And after I had scorned her friend’s advances, Senator Akpoti accused me of sexually harassing her at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, during a reception held for the visiting Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, when he visited Nigeria between May 4 and May 7 2014.

     “Unfortunately for Senator Akpoti, during those dates, I was sent to the United States of America as President Jonathan’s special envoy. I met and was photographed with multiple U.S. officials, including State Department officials, in Washington, D.C.

     “I then published a First Class British Airways ticket and my passport (which was a different class of passport from the regular Nigerian passport and requires a special kind of stamp), proving that I was not in Nigeria on the dates Senator Akpoti alleged I sexually harassed her.

     “After I published that evidence, Miss Natasha Akpoti, as she then was, deleted every trace of her allegations against me and the video she had made insulting me, my wife and my newborn daughter.

     “As I was pondering the next steps to take, a very influential and respectable man from my ethnic nationality, reached out to a prominent Christian clergyman, who mediated between him and I. The gentleman greeted me in my mother tongue, Itsekiri, and was most gentlemanly and expressed regrets over the incident, and I was prevailed on by the clergyman to reach an out-of-court settlement.

     “Thereafter, I dropped the matter since my name had been cleared, and the out-of-court settlement was adequate.

     “That is the extent of my encounter with Senator Natasha Akpoti. I hope the media can now leave me alone, as I am reluctant to grant any interviews or get entangled in this matter, seeing as I have the highest respect for the man who reached out to me to settle the matter.

     “As for the Senate, I have the highest respect and confidence in that institution and its leadership and believe that the right thing to do would be to institute a Senate investigation by the appropriate committee to determine the veracity of the present allegations.”

  • Let your husband defend himself, Natasha tells Akpabio’s wife

    Let your husband defend himself, Natasha tells Akpabio’s wife

    Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) has asked Ekaette Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to refrain from getting involved in the allegations of sexual advances against her husband.

    The Nation had reported that in an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi central senator, alleged Akpabio made sexual advances towards her in his office and residence in Akwa Ibom.

    The Senate President’s wife, who filed fundamental rights and defamation suits against the senator, said  Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims were “lies” noting that her husband is a disciplined man.

    However, in a letter dated March 1 and addressed to Akpabio’s wife, the Kogi senator, through Victor Giwa, her lawyer, said she is not “desirous” of involving Ekaette in the “unfortunate” saga.

    The Kogi senator advised Ekaette to consider her sanity and allow Akpabio defend himself against the allegations.

    Read Also: Alleged defamation: Akpabio’s wife slams N251bn suit against Natasha 

    “Our client is not desirous of calling you out into the unfortunate saga concerning her allegations against the Senate President and wishes that you restrain yourself from delving into the obscene circumstances,” the letter reads.

    “While she has tolerated all the harassment from the Senate President, she was constrained to reveal the unfortunate torture and victimization she has endured in the Red Chambers.

    “Consequently, we would like to state that the allegations of our client are personal to the Senate President, and our client believes the Senate President has the capacity to defend himself and refutes any of these allegations against him.

    “Our client has concrete evidence to substantiate her allegations. We will suggest that you leave the defense of the allegations for the Senate President to maintain your sanity and that of your family.”

  • Alleged defamation: Akpabio’s wife slams N251bn suit against Natasha 

    Alleged defamation: Akpabio’s wife slams N251bn suit against Natasha 

    The wife of Senate President, Mrs. Unoma Godswill Akpabio, has filed multiple lawsuits at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan claiming N350billion in damages.

    In the suits, Unoma alleged the breach of her fundamental rights and defamation stemming from statements made by the senator  during a televised interview on Arise News.

    She said the Suit No: CV/814/25, was brought pursuant to Section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human And Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    Akpabio’s wife prayed the court for a declaration that the allegations made by Natasha  on the floor of the Senate on the 20th of February 2025 and subsequent scandalous and salacious allegations on Arise News TV by the Respondent, constitute a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of her husband guaranteed under Section 34(1) (A) of The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), Article 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 14 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.

    She also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Natasha from making further “inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives.”

    The suit reads in part: “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent, whether by themselves, their agents, privies, or whosoever from further inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives or in any other manner infringing on their fundamental rights.

    “An order awarding the sum of N250 billion as exemplary, punitive, aggravated and general damages against the Respondent for her infringement of the fundamental rights of the Applicant alongside such further or other Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”

    Read Also: Akpabio’s wife, Kingibe tackle Natasha over sexual harassment claim

    Additionally, in a separate defamation lawsuit with No: CV/816/25), Mrs. Akpabio sought a declaration “that the Defendant’s act of claiming on national television, that the Claimant’s husband, who is the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made sexual advances at her, without any proof of same, has damaged the reputation of the Claimant and indeed her entire family, bringing them into disrepute and opprobrium.

    “An order mandating the Defendant to issue a formal written retraction of the defamatory words and tender an unconditional apology to the Claimant and her family, to be published in 2 (two) nationally-read newspapers to wit: The Guardian and This Day Newspapers.

    “An order compelling the Defendant to pay to the Claimant the sum of ₦1billion as punitive and exemplary damages for the ruinous effect of the Defendant’s defamatory words on the Claimant’s family’s reputation.

    “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from further uttering any defamatory words or causing to be uttered or spread, any defamatory words against the reputation of the Claimant’s family.

    “Any further or ancillary order or other Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”

  • Akpabio’s wife, Kingibe tackle Natasha over sexual harassment claim

    Akpabio’s wife, Kingibe tackle Natasha over sexual harassment claim

    • My trouble started after I refused his advances, Kogi senator alleges
    • Senate President’s wife rallies to hubby’s defence, threatens litigation
    • My seat has been moved four times, Kingibe faults Akpoti-Uduaghan

    The rift between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, assumed a new dimension yesterday with claims by the latter that Akpabio had previously made advances to her.

    Speaking in an interview on Arise Television, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan recalled that the incident took place during a visit to Akpabio’s residence in Akwa Ibom State shortly after her emergence as senator.

    Alleging that her recent clash with Akpabio in the upper chamber of the National Assembly stemmed from a sexual harassment he previously suffered at the Senate President’s hands, she said: “It all started the day before his birthday and my birthday, because we are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom.

    “At first, we were in his house at Ikot Ekpene. Then we all went to his house in Uyo. Then he held my hands, walking around from room to room, he showed me the beautiful interiors.

    “He got to this particular sitting room and asked me if I liked his house. I said of course, sir, every room is beautiful, quality taste.

    “He said now you are a senator, I am going to create time for us to come create quality moments here; you will enjoy it.

    “At that point, I just pulled away because I didn’t understand what he meant.”

    The Kogi senator’s claims, however, struck the wrong chord in Senator Akpabio’s wife, Ekaette, who did not only dismiss the allegation as a figment of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s imagination but also threatened legal action against her.

    In an interview with journalists yesterday, Mrs Akpabio described her husband as a disciplined and jovial man, saying that the allegation of sexual harassment leveled against him was fabricated.

    The wife of the Senate President insisted that she was present at their residence on December 8, 2023, the date Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed she was sexually harassed.

    She said both families enjoy a long-standing cordial relationship predating the senator’s marriage to her husband.

    The lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate, Senator Ireti Kingibe, joined the fray yesterday as she berated her colleague over her outburst against the sitting rearrangement in the upper chamber.

    Kingibe, who also appeared on Arise TV yesterday, carpeted the Kogi senator for repeatedly failing to abide by the Senate rules.

    Read Also: Natasha accuses Akpabio of making sexual advances at her before husband

    She said the other female senators had been quiet on the row provoked by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reaction to the sitting rearrangement only because they don’t want to say something negative about one of them.

    She said: “Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules.

    “As women, we did not want to come out publicly to say anything negative about her, and we were hoping all of this would blow over as a lot of things do.

    “The Senate is not a place where we are supposed to fight over trivialities like sitting arrangements.”

    She added: “This is about the rules of the Senate. So, if I can point out that other women have been moved several times on that day.

    “I wasn’t there, but I gathered that several men were also moved.”

    “The truth is, senator Natasha has gotten the most privileges among all four of us (female senators). The seat I sit on now has been moved four times.

    “I want women to know we have to follow the rules of the institution we chose to enter, and that is mostly the point of this visit here.”

    On the allegations of sexual harassment, Kingibe said she is not that close to Akpabio to discuss the subject.

    “I collected some documents for senator Natasha, informed her and went to her house. She told me that she was supposed to discuss something with Akpabio but he said to meet him at a hotel,” Kingibe added.

  • Akpabio vs Natasha: Letter to women politicians

    Akpabio vs Natasha: Letter to women politicians

    Nigeria is a country contradictions and ironies. The most populous black nation on earth with a vibrant youth population but where productivity is low and consumerism reigns supreme. It is a land blessed with both human and natural resources including oil but with a staggering 137million leaving in multi-dimensional poverty. It is a nation with some of the most educated Africans but with more than 20million out-of-school children.

    Nigeria has some of the most fertile lands and with a friendly all year weather but where food insecurity is giving a harvest of physically and mentally retarded malnourished kids. With the high illiteracy of women comes the high incidents of low life expectancy because illiteracy and poverty especially of women cannot yield good results. Maternal and child mortality is very high. It is just logical because any nation that does not invest in comprehensive healthcare, agriculture and education will logically harvest these outcomes.

    Democracy has been described as the best form of government due to it being centered on the people as it is a government of the people, for the people and by the people. There is no mention of gender in the definition of democracy. Ironically, even monarchies seem to be gender-blind as most monarchies especially the ones done by inheritance often give women a chance to be functional queens. The late Queen Elizabeth II of Britain was queen for more than 70 years.

    Nigeria practices the American Presidential model of democracy. Somehow, it is merely in form and not necessarily in practice. To start with, the political party structure in America imperfect as it might be is based on defined ideological models. The Republican and Democratic parties, the two most dominant political parties operate under identifiable ideological lines. The Red and Blue identities speak loudly of either side of the aisle.

    Nigeria’s earliest  political parties, the NCP, the NCNC, the AG, etc. were somehow fired by ethnic and religious leanings and so each region seemed to have been dominated by ethno-religiously rooted political parties.  This has largely been the albatross of the Nigerian state. Development has been difficult because of flawed military interventions and politics fired by mundane colorations. With time, more political parties were formed but were still fired by the same parochially unproductive sentiments that informed the earliest post-independent political parties.

    However, the Nigerian socio-political environment is male-dominated with sprinkles of cultural and religious sentiments equally influenced by the colonial history of mono governance. Even the earliest female political players are often omitted when the country references active players of the period. So the rhetoric is always, “our heroes past” leaving out the heroines of the time like Gambo Sawaba, Funmilayo Rasome-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo and many other heroic women of the period.

    Today the male dominance of the political field in Nigeria is a continental if not global embarrassment.  Smaller countries like Liberia, Namibia, Tanzania, Malawi etc have all produced female presidents. These are countries Nigerians often describe as ‘small’ countries. Kenya has seven female governors up from four in 2017. The women pushed for a constitutional review that made it unconstitutional for any single gender to occupy more than two thirds of any elective position. That is development. Nigeria has never had q woman nominated by any political party as president. There has never been an elected female governor or Vice President.

    Rwanda, the African phoenix rose from the ashes of a 1994 genocidal war to become the world’s number one country in female representation in parliament with about 60.1%. Circumstantial as that may be, this fact has been noticed through the progress the country has made. Rwanda has become a big insetment and tourism hub in Africa. This is a testament to the value inclusion brings to the development table. Liberia was stabilized after the war by the presidency of former president Eileen Johnson Srileaf who the women of Liberia sacrificed everything to bring to power seeing what they had suffered during the male-induced and powered war.

    As the world watches with dismay the drama in the Nigerian Senate between the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for the second time in less than a year, the Roundtable Conversation has a message for the women in Nigerian politics. As analysis and counter analysis go on around the incident that happened in the senate between the two senators, it is again time to call for a better strategy by the Nigerian women in politics rather than dwelling on mere analysis.

    We might not yet fully understand the socio-political undercurrents that have led to the issues between Senators Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The duo is in the eye of the storm for a second time. The first time was the Senate President using the Nightclub innuendo as political satire while addressing  Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan during plenary a few months ago. There was outrage and he later apologized and whipped up all the socio-political emotional PR to douse the national tension over allegations of misogyny given that he had equally crossed parts with another female Senator, Ireti Kingibe.

    The Senate President is however not new to controversies of such nature as he had as Minister of Niger Delta had public confrontation with the former Interim MD of the NDDC, Dr. Joy Nunieh who claimed she had slapped the then minister  Akpabio for alleged sexual harassment. Again, a Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has alleged some sexual harassment by the same Senate President Akpabio yesterday on Arise TV Morning Show as journalists wanted to find out her side of the story over the incident.

    As expected, there have been various angles to the incident with varied interpretations and many alleging marginalization of women not just in the National Assembly where out of 109 senators, there are just 4 females making it just about 2.7%. Out of 360 House of representative members, there are just about 17 women or 4.7%. With the declining number of women in the apex law-making arm of the government, progress cannot come to the country. Women bear the brunt of poverty and underdevelopment so something must give.

    For state assemblies, there is an abysmally low female representation. To think that the legislature is the arm that makes laws in a democracy, it is horrifying that some state assemblies have no single female! What this means is that in those state assemblies, men and only men make laws about issues that affect women most of which they have no knowledge nor experience about. Development cannot happen with lopsided representations. No bird flies with one wing.

    So as analysis and counter analysis go on about gender injustice and exclusion  in Nigeria politics, again, the Roundtable Conversation has the same recurrent message for the Nigerian women in politics. Insist on internal party democracy. Fight for inclusion for party leadership positions that is where the power is. Stop accepting to be WOMEN LEADERS. That is the first acceptance of second class citizens. There are no MEN LEADERS. What you have and which makes men the most powerful political operators has no gender prefix. The are just party leaders.

    Read Also: Natasha-Akpabio row: Seat arrangement not a gender issue, says Shaibu

    Women should stop working for men given the proactive roles of the female demographic in voting. The women in politics should stop being errand girls to men who more often than not, they are more qualified and more experienced than. A Rosa Park needed no man to force her to sit down to make the history she made. AN Eileen Johnson-Sirleaf did not emerge Liberian President by being Woman Leader.

    Make no mistakes about it, women can organize themselves internally as groups and possibly have leaders but not on a political party structure as mere political appendages to men. It has not worked, it will never work. The lamentations about the experiences of most women in politics happen because Nigerian women erroneously assume men will be their savior.  The men gain from the status quo so they can’t fight your battles for you. Politics is not a tea party. The male privileges are enormous and they work together to grab power. Women must be ready to resist the bullying and name calling meant to discourage them from political participation and the onus is on the women who are  armed with education and experience to be at the forefront. A they say in social parlance, ‘pick-misism’ can never save women. Lamentations cannot be a solution. Women must resist the urge to be seen as religio-culturally complaint in a self-defeatist way.

    As we await the full investigations of the Senators Akpabio Vs Akpoti Uduaghan possibly by the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the senate, no one should expect any magic wand being waved thereafter to solve all the problems for women in Nigerian political space. Women must go beyond protests and analysis of this singular incident because while that is disturbing enough, there are women who have been killed, maimed or scared off politics by male intimidatory tactics and bullying.

    While legislative debates and disagreements especially in legislative environments are common place on a global level, we must caution that the Nigerian state seems not to have fared very well in the committee of nations in terms of women participation due largely to no fault of the women. What has changed however is the culture of silence and ignorance.  Education has helped unknot certain belief systems but the masculine arrogance of many men can be tamed by the courage and perseverance of women especially those in politics. They must re-strategize like the men in other to dismantle the chain of oppressive/abusive tendencies. The political structure must change and the women no matter how few can lead the battle…and win!

    • The dialogue continues…
  • Natasha accuses Akpabio of making sexual advances at her before husband

    Natasha accuses Akpabio of making sexual advances at her before husband

    The crisis rocking the Senate over the reallocation of a seat to the Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) in chambers last Thursday got messier on Friday morning.

    Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who broke her silence when she appeared on a programme on Arise Television Morning Show in Abuja, accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of making sexual advances at her in the presence of her husband.

    Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged her refusal to yield to the sexual advances was behind the hatred and antagonism by the Senate President.

    She said her refusal to yield to consistent sexual advances from the Senate President within and outside the country was the cause of her victimisation in the Senate.

    Responding to a question, Akpoti-Uduaghan said: “It all started on the 18th of December 2023, which was a day before his birthday and my birthday, we are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom because he had a big fanfare in the stadium.

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    “Myself, my husband and a few of his close friends, we went to Akwa Ibom and at first we were at Ikot Ekpene, where his house is then we all moved to his house in Uyo. It was about 8pm and he held my hand and said he wanted to show me around his house.

    “My husband was walking behind us. Just three of us. We were walking around from room to room. He showed me the beautiful interior.

    “He noticed that he has to be spaced while still holding my hand. My husband was behind still on his phone but he was watching up whenever he could and then he got to this particular sitting room and he said, do you like my house?

    “I said, of course, sir. Every room, beautiful, nice interior, quality taste. He said, now that you’re a senator, I’m going to create time for us to come spend quality moments here. You will enjoy it.

    “At that point, I just pulled away and I was like, ‘I don’t really understand what exactly that meant.’ But then my husband when I turned around was already near me, and the way my husband looked at me and looked at him, I was beginning to wonder, did he hear part of that inciting statements or not?

    “And then the Senate President too, I saw that he also had that thought like, did my husband hear the invitation to treat or not?

    “So then the Senate President now said, oh, by the way, let me show you my chapel. He has a chapel in his house as well.

    “So to the chapel. I know we walked in silence and all. So that evening before we left the Senate President’s house at about 11 midnight to the Four Point Hotel, my husband asked me, Natasha, what did the Senate President tell you. What was he telling you?

    “I thought, should I tell him that he was speaking about bringing me in here at a special time for us to have a good time? Or should I just kill it there?

    “I just gave him some words to mask what was said. After when we laid in bed to my right and my husband wrapped his hands around me and he said, my love you know you can tell me anything.

    “What did the Senate President tell you? Again I was like don’t you believe me?

    “I said nothing, nothing. Moreover it’s my birthday in a few minutes, let’s just be happy.”

    On her outburst concerning sitting arrangement in Senate chambers last Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed  that Order 10 of the Senate Rules stipulates that a senator can speak from his or her seat but that when it comes to the issue of privileges, senators can speak from anywhere.

    Asked why the other three female senators were not forthcoming to speak against her ordeal, Akpoti-Uduaghan said their reasons were best known to them.

    She however, said the Senator representing FCT, Ireti Kingibe, called to condemn her for filing a defamatory suit against the Senate President in court.

    On the night club comments of the Senate President, Akpoti-Uduaghan said it was not a slip of tongue because the Senate President had allegedly once suggested to her that he could organise a party in form of a night club where they could have fun.

    She equated her ordeal in the hands of the Senate President to a young female student who refused sexual advances from her lecturer but vowed to maintain her integrity in the midst of any form of victimisation.

    She also denied allegations of corruption contained in a petition by a northern youth group to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and, Public Petitions.

    Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that the petition was sponsored by those who wanted her to be sharing funds meant for Committee works to them.

    She further alleged that the Senate leadership had once warned her to stop the constant confrontation with the Senate President because if Akpabio goes down, she would also go down with him.

  • No rift between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan – South-south leaders

    No rift between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan – South-south leaders

    …describes Senate President as moral leader, hail Akpoti-Uduaghan for her intelligence, self-control, strong voice

    Leaders from the South-South region have affirmed the cordial relationship between the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    Dismissing speculations of discord, the leaders stated they were aware that Akpabio holds no grievances against Akpoti-Uduaghan, contrary to claims by certain political actors.

    Following a meeting on Sunday in Calabar, the leaders refuted allegations of sexual harassment and sidelining, labeling them as “wicked and malicious.”

    In a statement issued after the meeting, National Chairman of the South-South Front, Chief John Harry, commended both Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan for their commitment to national progress.

    “We know that the Senate President does not have anything against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, contrary to the insinuation of political mercenaries’’

    They also chastised some individuals and groups for introducing dangerous dimensions to the recent development in the Senate.

    “We consider it very irresponsible and most uncharitable for some individuals and groups to mischievously try to set Akpoti-Uduaghan against the leadership of the Senate for expressing her views.

    “These smear campaigns are attempts to tarnish the image of the distinguished senators and put the popular, bright and unflappable Akpoti-Uduaghan at logger-heads with the leadership of the Senate

    “There is a general misunderstanding. The unwarranted attack being launched on Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan amounts to an assault on our collective sensibilities.”

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    Harry said the leaders took cognizance of the pleasant disposition of the Senate President, his inclusive strategy and the peaceful atmosphere he has been able to create in the Senate.

    “No amount of allegations and criticisms hurled at the distinguished senators can erode their contributions to the development of the country.”

    The notable leaders called on all South-South and North Central people and indeed Nigerians to show solidarity and support for the Senate President and the member representing Kogi Central in the Senate.

    “The Kogi Central Senator is dedicated and fearless. There is no amount of blackmail, name-calling or intimidation from fictitious groups that could change the course of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s destiny,” the statement added.

  • Tax Reform Bills: Less than 30% of Nigerians pay tax, says Akpabio

    Tax Reform Bills: Less than 30% of Nigerians pay tax, says Akpabio

    Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Monday lamented that less than 30 percent of Nigerians pay tax.

    Akpabio, who spoke during a public hearing on the Tax Reforms Bills organized by the Senate committee on finance, however, said although less than 30 percent of Nigerians pay tax, 100 percent of the people seek good infrastructure like good roads, improved healthcare system among others.

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    Among dignitaries present at the public hearing are the minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy, Dr. Olawale Edun, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Dr. Mele Kyari, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacchaeus Adedeji, the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, among others.

    Details shortly…