Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi Central has alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio repeatedly made inappropriate and suggestive remarks toward her.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the senate on March 6 for alleged gross misconduct and unruly behaviour over her seating arrangement dispute with Akpabio. Her suspension came just a day after she formally submitted a s*xual harassment petition against him.
Senator Natasha during an interview with BBC, alleged that her suspension was merely a tactic to silence her, reiterating that Akpabio had persistently made s*xual advances towards her both within and outside the Senate chamber, sometimes in the presence of other lawmakers.
She said, “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?”
“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 with emotion, Akpoti-Uduaghan broke down in tears when asked about how her allegations affected her.
She said, “People don’t understand what it means to carry this. Maybe we don’t talk about it enough in Nigeria or Africa.”
“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?”
Natasha said the positive for her is that some female parliamentarians from across Africa had reached out to her in solidarity, sharing their own experiences of working in male-dominated spaces.
In response, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, senate’s deputy chief whip, told BBC Akpabio never made passes at Akpoti-Uduaghan, adding that he never made any inappropriate comments towards Senator Natasha.
He refuted claim that the Senate was trying to silence Natasha, saying, “Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true.”
