Senate President Godswill Akpabio has fired back at Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, warning that her actions and attitude may hamper the prospect of women getting political appointments in high-ranking positions in Nigeria.

Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, spoke during plenary on Thursday, March 13, 2025, expressing concern that the controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against him could have long-term consequences for women’s inclusion in governance.

The Kogi Central lawmaker recently said that the Senate President made repeated sexual advances at her, claiming that her refusal to play ball with Akpabio was responsible for her ordeal in the upper legislative chamber.

The allegation came to light after the Red Chamber moved to punish Natasha for her misconduct during plenary, where she protested the seating rearrangement. She was later handed a six-month suspension following the recommendation of the Ethics Committee.

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The Kogi lawmaker subsequently submitted to the Senate a sexual harassment petition against Akpabio, after which she took the matter to court.

Natasha followed up by reporting the matter to the United Nations Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), where she claimed that the Senate suspended her for reporting a sexual misconduct case against Akpabio.

Akpabio highlights the dangers of Senator Natasha's actions

The Senate President condemned Natasha's handling of the situation, accusing her of escalating the matter unnecessarily.

“When this issue began, she initially brought it to the Senate through a petition but did not allow the chamber to deliberate on it before taking it to court. Even then, she did not allow the court to address it before escalating the matter to the international community,” he stated.

The former Akwa Ibom Governor likened the accusation to a hypothetical scenario where former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris accused President Joe Biden of sexual assault for simply shaking her hand or guiding her through the White House.

“If such an allegation were made, it would create a precedent where no woman would ever be chosen as vice president again.”

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Meanwhile, the Senate President appealed to politicians not to shut the door of opportunities to women, especially his four daughters, because of one person's action.

“I have four daughters, and I want to plead with politicians to still give them and other women a chance. The sins of one should not be used to punish others,” he said.

Senate passes vote of confidence on Akpabio

Meanwhile, despite certain quarters requesting that Akpabio step aside until the investigation of the Natasha allegation concludes, his colleagues unanimously passed a vote of confidence in his leadership on Thursday.

The motion was raised by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, under Orders 40 and 51 of the Senate Rules.

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He stressed that the sexual misconduct allegation matter was already in court and urged Nigerians not to be swayed by external narratives.

The Senate Leader dismissed allegations that the Red Chamber ignored the claims of sexual harassment, stating: “At no point between August 2023 and now was the Senate formally informed of any sexual harassment claims. The only issue before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions was a petition by Senator Yemi Adaramodu concerning Akpoti-Uduaghan’s alleged violation of Senate rules.”