Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He reacted to the allegations on Wednesday at the resumption of plenary in the Senate, after a week’s recess.
Dismissing the allegations, Senator Akpabio said, “At no time did I ever harass any woman. I was raised very well by my late single mother, and I have always upheld respect for women. I was even awarded the most gender-friendly governor in Nigeria.”
The Senate President, who said he had been inundated with calls on the matter since February 25, and that he was aware of the growing social media discourse, urged Nigerians, the media, and social media users to refrain from drawing conclusions and instead await the court’s decision on the matter.
However, immediately after his remarks, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan raised a petition under Order 40, accusing the Senate President of sexual harassment and abuse of office.
She requested permission to step forward and formally lay the petition before the chamber.
The Senate subsequently referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, directing it to review the matter as soon as practicable.
The Senate was hit by controversy in February when a seat rearrangement escalated into a confrontation between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate President. The dispute over the seat has sparked tensions within the Senate, leading to the allegation of sexual harassment by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, and raising fresh concerns about decorum and conduct within the legislative body.
On Wednesday, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at the Senate Chamber in the company of her husband amid the controversy.
In a brief but affectionate moment, the Senator shared a kiss with her husband before proceeding into the chamber to take her seat.
After taking her place in her newly assigned seat, she, however, refused to stand upon the arrival of Akpabio for the commencement of plenary, a deviation from the customary show of respect for the presiding officer.
