As Senate resumes, Akpabio denies sexual harassment, Natasha submits petition

As Senate resumes, Akpabio denies sexual harassment, Natasha submits petition

 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday denied allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

He spoke at the resumption of plenary in the Senate, after a week’s recess.

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 controversy started in February when a seat rearrangement led to a confrontation between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate President.

This led 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 with her husband.

She shared a brief kiss with her husband before proceeding into the chamber to take her seat.

However, she refused to stand on the arrival of Akpabio for the commencement of plenary.

Police fire tear gas at Natasha supporters

Police officers fired tear gas to prevent supporters of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from accessing the National Assembly Complex on Wednesday.

The protesters had converged on the National Assembly gate as early as 8am ahead of resumption of plenary.

They carried placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Akpabio must go’, ‘Protect women’s rights’, and ‘Protect Natasha at all costs’.

The police moved in swiftly, firing tear gas cannisters at them.

The crowd later moved to the Unity Fountain.