Nigerian Senate Like a Cult, Says Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the Senate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has made a bold assertion, claiming that the Nigerian Senate operates like a cult.
In an interview with the BBC, Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that senators are often reluctant to express opposing views within the chamber for fear of retaliation. She described her six-month suspension, which was based on allegations of “gross misconduct,” as a deliberate attempt to silence her.
“I am being victimised. My suspension is a means of silencing me,” she stated, referring to what she described as a series of events leading up to her suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan further detailed an encounter with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, claiming he had made suggestive advances toward her. She recounted, “We were at his country home. He was taking me around his house. My husband was walking behind us. He held my hand and squeezed it in a very suggestive way. We women, we know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way.”
In addition, she claimed Akpabio made an inappropriate comment when she appeared without her wedding ring. “He said, ‘Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring. Is this an invitation to treat?’” she recalled, describing the remark as indicative of his suggestive behavior.
It should be noted that Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously accused Akpabio of sexually harassing her following a confrontation during a Senate plenary last month. On March 6, she was suspended from the Senate for six months for “gross misconduct” after failing to appear before the Ethics and Privilege Committee.
Responding to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations, the Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, rejected the claims. He told the BBC that Akpabio had never made sexual advances or inappropriate remarks toward Akpoti-Uduaghan. Nwaebonyi also dismissed her assertion that the Senate was attempting to silence her, stating, “Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true.”
