The men appear to be maintaining a studied silence, but for the wives, it is battle time. Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s wife, Ekaette, says she will go to court over allegations made by the Senator representing Kogi Central at the Nigerian Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, that her husband made sexual advances at her.
Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio waved off the allegations while speaking with journalists describing them as “baseless fantasies”.
Mrs. Akpabio poured encomiums on her husband for his discipline, love of family, and supporting the inclusiveness of women in government.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had earlier of Friday on Arise TV accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of making these advances to her within the Senate premises and during a visit to his home in Akwa Ibom.
“In February, I wanted to move a motion for the investigation of anti-corruption practices at Ajaokuta Steel Company. I listed that motion five times, but it was only on the sixth attempt that it was approved.
“He kept doing that, so I went to his office and said, ‘You know how important the Ajaokuta Steel Company is to me and my people. I’ve noticed that you have repeatedly stepped down this motion.’ He replied, ‘Natasha, I’m the Chief Presiding Officer of the Senate. You can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me and make me happy.’”
“At that point, I said I would pretend I didn’t hear that. He then said, ‘The ball is in your court.’ When I got home, I told my husband to speak to the Senate President to allow my motion to go through. You know when a student keeps failing because they refuse to sleep with a lecturer? That is exactly what I have been facing, in simple terms.”
And then she cited another event that allegedly took place in December.
“It all started the day before his birthday and my birthday because we are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom. At first, we were in his house at Ikot Ekpene. Then we all went to his house in Uyo, then he held my hands, walking around from room to room, he showed me the beautiful interiors. He got to this particular sitting room and asked me if I liked his house. I said of course, Sir, every room is beautiful, beautiful taste. And he said, Now you are a senator, I am going to create time for us to come create quality moments here. You will enjoy it.’ At that point, I just pulled away because I didn’t understand what he meant…”
The Senator cited her husband, who was behind them, as a witness; but Akpabio’s wife dismisses the allegation because she was present at her family residence on the alleged date, 8th December, 2023.
Recall that nearly five years ago, a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh, accused Akpabio, then the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, of sexually harassing her.
“Why did he not tell Nigerians that I slapped him in his guest house at Apo? I am the only Ogoni woman, the only Nigerian woman that has slapped him. I slapped him because of his plan B. Since he couldn’t get me to take that money, he thought that he could come up on me.
“He didn’t know that I’m a Port Harcourt girl. Port Harcourt girls are not moved by money…by somebody telling me that he will make me the substantive MD. Akpabio’s meetings with me were either at Apo or Meridien…Yes, I am accusing him of sexual harassment.”
Akpabio problems with Akpoti-Uduaghan came to the fore last Thursday when she raised issues over her relocation from her previously seating position.
As she raised her voice after been ruled out of order, the Senate President ordered sergeants-at-arms to remove her from the chamber, while calling on Chamber officials to give him the rule that spoke about the suspension of a member.
Earlier, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno briefed Akpabio over the female senator’s refusal to move to a new seat allocated to her, adding that a senator could only speak from their official seat.
He noted that the president could prevent any senator from contributing from a seat other than the officially alllocated one.
The re-arrangement of seats, Monguno said, was necessitated by the defection of two senators to the ruling party adding that the Senate President had the powers to reassign seats.
As soon as Akpabio ruled in favour of Monguno, Akpoti-Uduaghan sprang up and objected, citing Order 10 on member’ privileges.
Akpabio would not have it and ordered she be removed by the Sergeant-at-Arms, while calling for the rule on suspension of members.
Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained her stand that her privileges had been breached, even as official of the Sergeant-at-Arms moved to effect Akpabi’s order and her colleagues stepped forward to calm her down.
Even when her microphone was muted, the senator kept making her point.
Her words: “Since the nightclub incident, you have deliberately silenced me and the voice of Kogi Central on this floor. You have denied me the right to contribute to motions.
“I have not been able to take the second readings of my numerous debates. So, Mr Senate President, I am not afraid of further being silenced but I will not be shoved to the corner. I choose to remain on this seat as a senator duly elected by my people come what may.
“The worst you will do, Mr Senate President, is to suspend me from sitting. And I promise you, the fact that I am suspended does not mean that I cease to contribute my quota to the development of my people and Nigerians at large.
“Mr Senate President, I have taken a whole lot from you. Some I don’t want to speak [about] publicly. But I will let Nigerians know how you are discriminating against me, how you have maligned me, how you have dehumanised me…
“Your choice of words since I resumed in this Senate have [caused me] to be dehumanised. Mr Senate President, I am not afraid of you. Do what you may but I will not leave this seat.”
“I have faced a lot of harassment, I have been going through a lot, a lot. And I have remained quiet because I didn’t want to be interpreted wrongly, I didn’t want any lawsuits against me. I just wanted to be given a chance to work.”
Not done and apparently fearing a backlash, she went to court last Tuesday and filed a lawsuit against Akpabio for alleged defamation.
She alleged that defamatory statements were made against her by the Senate President and asked the court to order him to pay her N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as litigation costs.
● Additional report from www.adbntv.com
