Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of making repeated lewd and suggestive remarks towards her, both within and outside the Senate chamber.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for what was described as “gross misconduct and unruly behavior,” alleges that the suspension was a ploy to silence her after she formally submitted a petition against Akpabio for sexual harassment.
In an interview with the BBC, the senator detailed instances of inappropriate advances by Akpabio, claiming that he made sexually suggestive comments about her marriage and physical appearance.
“He would squeeze my hands in a very suggestive way,” she revealed. Recalling an incident where she had forgotten to wear her wedding ring to work, she stated, “There were about five senators there, and Akpabio said, ‘Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring… is this an invitation to treat?’”
She further alleged that Akpabio made sexist remarks about her husband, saying, “Natasha, your husband is really enjoying. It looks like you’d be able to make good movements with your waist.”
The senator, visibly emotional during the interview, lamented the difficulties of speaking out about such issues in Nigeria. “People don’t understand what it means to carry this. Maybe we don’t talk about it enough in Nigeria or Africa,” she said, breaking into tears. “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?”
Despite facing backlash, Akpoti-Uduaghan disclosed that she has received solidarity from female parliamentarians across Africa, many of whom have shared similar experiences of sexual harassment in male-dominated political spaces.
As of now, Senate President Akpabio has not publicly responded to the allegations.
