The suspended Senator representing Kogi Central in the Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has maintained that her suspension was a direct consequence of her accusations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed in an interview with Sky News on Wednesday that Akpabio told her she had to “please him” to enjoy her privileges as a Senator, describing her suspension as what she believed to be a calculated attempt to silence her.
“I made an allegation of sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on the fifth day of March 2025 and the very next day, I was suspended for six months. I believe my suspension is illegal, it’s unjust, and it’s just a way of silencing me,” Akpoti-Uduaghan stated.
“Yes, they did mention that I was suspended on grounds of gross misconduct, but can they please provide what the gross misconduct is that amounts to a six-month suspension the day after I submitted a petition? I was suspended because of that petition, not because of any gross misconduct.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan compared her alleged maltreatment to that of her male colleagues, alleging a double standard in the Senate.
“Let’s talk about the gross misconduct that had happened in the Nigerian chambers. I was only told to move, and I refused to move my seat because I deserved to be notified; I deserved to be given a chance to explain why I should retain my seat. You see, I have seen in that chamber where men fight, where Senators throw items at each other, curse each other, shout at each other, but they were not suspended. Why? Because they were men.”
She further revealed that she had endured sexual harassment from Akpabio for over a year and that her refusal to yield to his demands led to a campaign of intimidation.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan narrated that Akpabio allegedly repeatedly blocked her attempts to raise motions and push important bills for her constituency, adding that even her husband tried intervening, but his efforts were stifled.
“I experienced sexual harassment over the past year in the hands of the Senate President, and this sexual harassment, because I refused to yield to his demands, turned into malice whereby my rights and privileges as a senator were deprived. I found the courage to speak up; yes, the breaking point was moving me from that seat; I have had to endure a whole lot in silence.
“Things got difficult for me; I was always complaining. My husband would actually walk up to him because they are friends, saying, ‘My wife has a very important bill, her constituency needs this, why don’t you give her a chance to speak?’ And he’d tell me, ‘Next time, next time.’ So he deliberately kept on denying me this. Each time I walked to him he’d tell me, ‘Right here I am the chief presiding officer of the National Assembly, so you have to please me, make me happy to get these privileges.’ And that happened several times. Because I refused, it developed into malice.
“Which other way was I supposed to make my voice heard?” she asked.
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