Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has renewed her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of making repeatedly lewd and suggestive comments both inside and outside the Senate chamber.
The Kogi Central lawmaker, who was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for what she described as “gross misconduct” and unruly behavior during a seat rearrangement, maintains that her suspension was merely a cover-up to silence her.
In an interview with the BBC, Akpoti-Uduaghan detailed her experience, stating that Akpabio would often “squeeze my hands in a very suggestive way” and recalled an incident when she arrived at work without her ring.
“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?’” she said.
She also recounted another instance that left her visibly emotional, describing how Akpabio commented on her physical appearance:
“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.”
Overwhelmed by the continual victim-shaming and intimidation, the senator broke down in tears during the interview.
“People don’t understand what it means to carry this. Maybe we don’t talk about it enough in Nigeria or Africa,” she said 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?”
Akpoti-Uduaghan noted a silver lining in her ordeal, revealing that female parliamentarians from across Africa have reached out to offer support, sharing that they too face similar challenges in male-dominated environments.
Adding to the unfolding saga, a Federal High Court in Lokoja has issued an interim injunction preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving petitions to launch a recall process against the senator.
The court order, issued on Thursday, also restricts INEC staff, agents, or assigns from accepting any petition signatures from purported members of the Kogi Central Senatorial District until the motion is further determined.
The application was moved by Smart Nwachimere, Esq., of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co., and the case has been adjourned until May 6, 2025, for a report of service and further mention.
Meanwhile, Kenyan lawmaker Senator Crystal Asige has also called for support for Akpoti-Uduaghan, urging justice for her over the alleged sexual harassment by the Senate President.
Speaking at a colloquium organized by the Haske Satumari Foundation, the visually impaired Senator Asige described sexual harassment as a systemic issue rooted in patriarchy and emphasized the need for a change in mindset in Africa.
“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,” she said.
