The wife of the Senate president, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, has debunked allegations of sexual harassment made against her husband, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Though the Senate president has yet to publicly react to the allegation, addressing journalists in Abuja, Mrs. Akpabio described the claims as a fabrication, emphasising the longstanding cordial relationship between her family and Senator Natasha’s.
She refuted the allegations, asserting that she was present at their family residence on the alleged date, December 8, 2023.
“My husband is a man of integrity who has always respected women and championed their inclusion in governance, even before becoming senate president,” she stated.
Mrs. Akpabio condemned the spread of what she termed false accusations and warned against using such claims for personal or political gains.
She further announced her intention to seek legal action to clear her husband’s name.
“This is not just about my husband; it’s about ensuring that baseless allegations do not become tools of defamation. We will take legal steps to address this matter appropriately,” she added.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) had accused l Akpabio of sexual harassment, alleging that he was punishing her for rejecting his advances.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV yesterday, she likened her experience to that of a student being unfairly targeted by a lecturer for refusing inappropriate demands.
Also in an interview on ARISE News yesterday, Kingibe dismissed claims that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been isolated by female senators, revealing that she had, in fact, received more privileges than her female colleagues.
“The three of us [female senators] have not been sexually harassed. That’s not to say if Senator Natasha can prove that she has been, we won’t support her. But she has never discussed it with us, and we don’t know about it,” Kingibe stated.
She added that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been given preferential treatment regarding seating arrangements, noting that other female senators, including herself, had been moved multiple times.
Kingibe further explained that she was hospitalized on the day of the alleged incident and only learned of the controversy afterward.
She attempted to contact Akpoti-Uduaghan for clarification but received no response.
“I promptly called her and asked what was going on. She started explaining about seating arrangements but didn’t finish before saying she’d call me back. Till today, she has not called me back,” Kingibe revealed.
Her efforts to reach Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband also proved unfruitful, as he informed her that his wife was in Singapore at the time.
While acknowledging that the Senate still has gender-related challenges, Kingibe noted that progress has been made in improving the treatment of female lawmakers.
“Yes, the Senate is not gender-friendly, but it has improved. When we raise concerns, the Senate President takes steps to address them,” she said.
She, however, cautioned that internal disputes, particularly those concerning seating arrangements, could harm public perception of the Senate, urging lawmakers to handle disagreements more constructively.
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