L-R: Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s file photo. Image Source: TheCable The senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of making offensive and suggestive remarks about her, including one in which he allegedly said that her husband is “enjoying” and that she would be able to make “good movements with her waist,” according to a report published by TheCable on Friday.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct and unruly behaviour” following an altercation with Akpabio over her seating arrangement, claimed that the suspension was a pretext to silence her after she submitted a sexual harassment petition against the Senate President.
In a heartfelt interview with the BBC, Akpoti-Uduaghan reiterated her allegations, stating that Akpabio had made inappropriate sexual advances both inside and outside the Senate chamber, sometimes in the presence of other senators.
She alleged, “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.”
She described an instance where Akpabio allegedly squeezed her hand in a “very suggestive way,” and recounted an uncomfortable moment when she had forgotten to wear her wedding ring.
Akpabio reportedly remarked, “Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring… is this an invitation to treat?” in front of a group of senators.
She said such comments were often accompanied by laughter from other senators.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s emotional recounting of the incidents left her in tears during the interview, as she described the emotional toll these experiences had on her, especially considering the victim-shaming and intimidation she had faced.
In her interview, she expressed the heavy psychological burden of carrying these experiences and lamented the lack of understanding about the impact of such harassment, particularly in Nigeria and Africa.
She pointed out that sexual harassment is often not openly discussed in the region, which further compounds the distress of those who experience it.
Responding to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, the deputy chief whip of the Senate, dismissed the claims, stating that Akpabio never made any inappropriate remarks or advances toward the female senator, neither in the Senate nor at his country home.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
