Suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has described her recent suspension from the Nigerian Senate as a deliberate attempt to silence over allegations of sexual assault made against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The Kogi senator accused Akpabio of sexually harassing her, claiming he made suggestive advances both at his residence and within the Senate chamber.
In an interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan recounted a disturbing encounter at Akpabio’s country home in Akwa Ibom. She stated, “We were at his country home. He was taking me around his house. My husband was walking behind us. He held my hand. He then squeezed my hands in a very suggestive way. We, women, know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way. And he went, ‘Now that you’re in the Senate, I’ll make an opportunity for us to come here and have a good moment,’ you know, along that line.”
She also recalled an incident in the Senate chamber where Akpabio and few other lawmakers assaulted her sexually after discovering she was without her wedding ring. She said, “There was a time when I rushed to work and forgot to wear my ring. There were about five senators there. He said, ‘Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring, is this an invitation to treat?’ You know, statements like this.”
The senator was suspended from the Senate on March 6, 2025, for gross misconduct following a disagreement with Akpabio over seating arrangements.
She insists the suspension is retaliatory, declaring, “I am being victimised. My suspension is a way to silence me.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan has since escalated the matter by presenting her case at a United Nations forum, urging international intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.
In response, Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi dismissed her allegations, denying that Akpabio ever made sexual advances toward her.
“Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true,” Nwaebonyi said, also rejecting her assertion that the Senate aimed to silence her.
