Fresh details have emerged regarding a petition submitted to the Senate by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alleging sexual harassment, abuse of office, and obstruction of legislative duties.
The petition, dated March 4, 2025, was officially presented before the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of making inappropriate advances toward her during a visit to his residence in Akwa Ibom on December 8, 2023.
According to the petition, Akpoti-Uduaghan, accompanied by her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, visited Akpabio’s residence in Akwa Ibom State.
Despite the presence of her husband, she alleged that the Senate President made inappropriate remarks and suggested that she should “spend quality moment” with him.
The petition further detailed an alleged incident in May 2024 when Akpabio invited her to his private residence in Abuja under the pretext of discussing legislative matters.
During the meeting, he allegedly said, “You know I am the Senate President; I will give you whatever you want, all you have to do is make me happy.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that her refusal to comply with Akpabio’s advances resulted in repeated removals of her motion for the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Company from the Senate’s Order Paper.
The petition also referenced an incident on the Senate floor where Akpabio allegedly called Akpoti-Uduaghan a “nightclub girl.” Although Akpabio later apologized for the remark, she insisted that it was part of a pattern of intimidation and retaliation.
Additionally, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of orchestrating her removal as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content. She argued that this move was linked to her advocacy for mini-Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects in Ajaokuta, which she claimed Akpabio sought to undermine in favour of projects in the Niger Delta region.
The petition urged the Senate Committee to thoroughly investigate the allegations and ensure accountability. Akpoti-Uduaghan further referenced previous accusations of sexual harassment against Akpabio, including those made by Dr. Joi Nunieh, the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in 2020.
She also referred to a heated exchange with Akpabio during a Senate plenary session on February 20, 2025, she alleged that the Senate President acted out of malice when he refused to allow her to respond to a point of order raised against her.
She further claimed that Akpabio called on the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove her from the Senate and proceeded to summarily suspend her.