Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, has once again submitted a sexual harassment petition again
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, has once again submitted a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session.
This time, she presented the petition on behalf of her constituents, led by Zubairu Yakubu. In response, Akpabio questioned whether there were any legal obstacles to accepting the petition. Akpoti-Uduaghan assured him there were none, prompting the Senate President to instruct her to formally lay it before the Senate.
The petition was then forwarded to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, headed by Senator Neda Imasuen. The committee was given four weeks to review the matter and report back to the Senate.
This development follows a similar petition submitted by Akpoti-Uduaghan the previous day, which stirred controversy. The Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, had objected to the petition, citing Senate Standing Order 40.
He argued that the issue could not be considered or referred to the Ethics Committee because it was sub judice as there was an ongoing court case involving Akpoti-Uduaghan and Ekaette Akpabio, the Senate President’s wife.
Monguno further stated that the petition was invalid because Akpoti-Uduaghan had signed it herself. As a result, the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed the petition, ruling that it was dead on arrival.
This latest submission has intensified the tensions between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio. Just days earlier, on March 27, a heated altercation broke out in the Senate chamber when Akpoti-Uduaghan protested the reassignment of her seat by Akpabio.
She arrived at the session to discover her nameplate removed and her seat reassigned, leading her to demand an explanation for what she saw as an unfair move.
