•Natasha and Akpabio
The crisis rocking the Senate over the reallocation of a seat to the Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) in chambers last Thursday got messier this morning.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who broke her silence when she appeared on a programme on Arise Television Morning Show in Abuja, accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of making sexual advances at her in the presence of her husband.
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged her refusal to yield to the sexual advances was behind the hatred and antagonism by the Senate President, reports The Nation.
She said her refusal to yield to consistent sexual advances from the Senate President within and outside the country was the cause of her victimisation in the Senate.
Responding to a question, Akpoti-Uduaghan said: “It all started on the 18th of December 2023, which was a day before his birthday and my birthday, we are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom because he had a big fanfare in the stadium.
“Myself, my husband and a few of his close friends, we went to Akwa Ibom and at first we were at Ikot Ekpene, where his house is then we all moved to his house in Uyo. It was about 8pm and he held my hand and said he wanted to show me around his house.
“My husband was walking behind us. Just three of us. We were walking around from room to room. He showed me the beautiful interior.
“He noticed that he has to be spaced while still holding my hand. My husband was behind still on his phone but he was watching up whenever he could and then he got to this particular sitting room and he said, do you like my house?
“I said, of course, sir. Every room, beautiful, nice interior, quality taste. He said, now that you’re a senator, I’m going to create time for us to come spend quality moments here. You will enjoy it.
“At that point, I just pulled away and I was like, ‘I don’t really understand what exactly that meant.’ But then my husband when I turned around was already near me, and the way my husband looked at me and looked at him, I was beginning to wonder, did he hear part of that inciting statements or not?
“And then the Senate President too, I saw that he also had that thought like, did my husband hear the invitation to treat or not?
“So then the Senate President now said, oh, by the way, let me show you my chapel. He has a chapel in his house as well.
“So to the chapel. I know we walked in silence and all. So that evening before we left the Senate President’s house at about 11 midnight to the Four Point Hotel, my husband asked me, Natasha, what did the Senate President tell you. What was he telling you?
“I thought, should I tell him that he was speaking about bringing me in here at a special time for us to have a good time? Or should I just kill it there?
“I just gave him some words to mask what was said. After when we laid in bed to my right and my husband wrapped his hands around me and he said, my love you know you can tell me anything.
“What did the Senate President tell you? Again I was like don’t you believe me?
“I said nothing, nothing. Moreover it’s my birthday in a few minutes, let’s just be happy.”
On her outburst concerning sitting arrangement in Senate chambers last Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that Order 10 of the Senate Rules stipulates that a senator can speak from his or her seat but that when it comes to the issue of privileges, senators can speak from anywhere.
Asked why the other three female senators were not forthcoming to speak against her ordeal, Akpoti-Uduaghan said their reasons were best known to them.
She however, said the Senator representing FCT, Ireti Kingibe, called to condemn her for filing a defamatory suit against the Senate President in court.
On the night club comments of the Senate President, Akpoti-Uduaghan said it was not a slip of tongue because the Senate President had allegedly once suggested to her that he could organise a party in form of a night club where they could have fun.
She equated her ordeal in the hands of the Senate President to a young female student who refused sexual advances from her lecturer but vowed to maintain her integrity in the midst of any form of victimisation.
She also denied allegations of corruption contained in a petition by a northern youth group to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and, Public Petitions.
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that the petition was sponsored by those who wanted her to be sharing funds meant for Committee works to them.
She further alleged that the Senate leadership had once warned her to stop the constant confrontation with the Senate President because if Akpabio goes down, she would also go down with him.
