The Senate on Wednesday dismissed the petition on alleged sexual harassment brought against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
At the sitting yesterday, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan formally submitted a petition against Akpabio during plenary, citing allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of office. Standing on Order 40 of the Senate Rule, she requested that the petition be received and investigated.
“You may recall that I made some statements on Arise TV last Friday. I am now formally submitting them as a petition against the Senate president,” she said.
Akpabio, who presided over the plenary, permitted her to lay the petition and referred it to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions for review.
The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, and the Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno attempted to make Akpabio reverse his ruling, but failed.
Bamidele and Monguno had quoted the relevant rules of the Senate to convince Akpabio to rescind his decision on the matter, saying it was against the practice of the red chamber to allow petitions personally written and signed by a serving senator.
Akpabio noted their observations but said the ruling would not be reversed.
After the session, the committee, during its sitting, dismissed the petition, citing procedural flaws. Committee Chairman, Senator Neda Imasuen (PDP, Edo South) declared it “dead on arrival”, explaining that Akpoti-Uduaghan had personally signed the petition instead of having it endorsed by another individual, violating Order 40, Subsection 4 of the Senate Standing Orders.
Additionally, Imasuen noted that since the issues raised were already in court, the Senate could not entertain them, as they were subjudice.
“The petition runs contrary to Senate rules and cannot be entertained,” he stated.
Akpabio denies allegations
Speaking earlier during the session, Akpabio denied harassing Akpoti-Uduaghan or any other female senator, urging Nigerians to avoid premature conclusions.
“Since February 20, I have received numerous calls about this matter. I want to state that at no time did I sexually harass Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. I was raised by my late single mother and have the highest regard for women,” he said.
The Senate President cited his past recognition as Nigeria’s most gender-friendly governor during his tenure as Akwa Ibom State governor (2007–2015).
“I have four daughters, and I would never harass any woman. I urge Nigerians, especially the media, to await the court’s decision rather than jumping to conclusions,” he added.
Natasha snubs Senate probe panel
Meanwhile, Akpoti-Uduaghan failed to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions on Wednesday, where she was expected to respond to allegations regarding her conduct during last week’s plenary.
The lawmaker had clashed with Akpabio over seat allocation, accusing him of publicly humiliating her and obstructing her legislative activities.
During the session, Akpabio reportedly denied her the opportunity to speak after she refused to accept her reassigned seat, prompting the Senate to refer the matter to its ethics committee.
At the committee’s sitting, Senator Imasuen expressed disappointment over her absence.
“Senator Natasha was duly invited to this meeting. We hope she will join us as we continue,” he said.
Court blocks Senate probe against Natasha
A few hours earlier, a Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from conducting disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, granted the order on Tuesday following an ex parte application by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team.
According to the court order, the Senate must show cause within 72 hours why an interlocutory injunction should not be issued to prevent it from proceeding with the probe.
The court ruled that the senator should not be investigated for alleged misconduct during plenary until her privileges, as outlined in the Constitution, Senate Standing Orders, and Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, were upheld.
Police disperse pro-Natasha protesters
Earlier on Wednesday, supporters of both Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio stormed the National Assembly in protest.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters, including civil society members, demanded Akpabio’s resignation, waving placards with messages such as “Akpabio must go” and “We stand with Senator Natasha”.
Meanwhile, a pro-Akpabio group staged a counter-protest, displaying banners such as “Apologise to the Senate President” and “We say no to Natasha’s serial blackmailing”.
The United Women for Good Governance, leading the pro-Akpabio demonstration, demanded an apology from Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Amid rising tensions, police operatives used tear gas to disperse Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters at the National Assembly Arcade.
NEF seeks Akpabio’s resignation
In a related development, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) yesterday condemned the alleged mistreatment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi) by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling for his immediate resignation to allow for an independent investigation.
The NEF position comes on the heels of similar positions by both the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the League of Northern Democrats (LND).
While the ACF had stated that the allegations had serious national and international implications for the Senate’s image and demanded an independent probe, the LND went further to demand that the senate president steps down pending the conclusion of the investigation. The ACF also described the 10th Senate under Akpabio’s leadership as “uninspiring.”
In a statement on Wednesday, the NEF spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, decried what he described as public intimidation of the female senator, stating that such actions were unacceptable in an era of advocating gender sensitivity and inclusiveness.
“NEF is closely monitoring the conflict in the Senate between the Senate president and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. It is deeply concerning that, at a time when gender inclusiveness and respect for women’s dignity are being championed globally, a female senator is facing public mistreatment,” Jiddere stated.