The Senator representing Kogi Central in the Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has revealed the genesis of her incessant faceoffs with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, saying she was being sexually harassed in the Red Chamber for refusing love advances from him.
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.
Speaking on the live TV show, the Kogi Central Senator said the matter began in December 2023 during an official visit to Akpabio’s native Akwa Ibom State. She alleged that the Senate President used the opportunity to invite her and her husband to tour his private house in Uyo, the state capital.
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged her refusal to yield to the sexual advances was behind the hatred and antagonism by the Senate President.
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.
“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.”
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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 a previous incident on the floor of the Senate where Akpabio warned Natasha to behave herself since Senate was not a ‘nightclub’, the Kogi Central Senator said it was not a slip of tongue as the Senate President once discussed having a ‘nightclub’ fun with her previously.
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 recalled another incident in the Senate when she needed to move a Motion on Ajaokuta, which is part of her senatorial district, but the move was thwarted by Akpabio. She said fellow Senators later advised her to meet him privately to sort things out over the Motion.
Natasha said Akpabio told her pointblank that she would only have her way on the Ajaokuta Motion only if she was ready to play ball.
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.
Senator Natasha also alleged that the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, once called to threaten her at midnight over the recent faceoff with Akpabio, saying the Ekiti Central lawmakers warned that ‘if Akpabio goes down’, she will go down too.