Senator Natasha Alleges Suspension Was Retaliation for Accusations Against Akpabio

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was recently suspended from the Senate, has claimed that her suspension was a direct retaliation for her accusations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Speaking in an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, the Senator representing Kogi Central explained that Akpabio allegedly told her she had to “please him” in order to enjoy her privileges as a Senator, suggesting that her suspension was an attempt to silence her.

“I made an allegation of sexual harassment against Senator Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Nigerian Senate, on March 5, 2025. The very next day, I was suspended for six months. I believe my suspension is illegal, unjust, and is just a way of silencing me,” Akpoti-Uduaghan asserted.

She emphasized that while the Senate cited “gross misconduct” as the reason for her suspension, she questioned the validity of this claim. According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, no clear explanation was provided for why she faced such a severe sanction just a day after submitting her petition. “Yes, they mentioned that I was suspended on grounds of gross misconduct, but can they please provide what the gross misconduct is that justifies a six-month suspension the day after I submitted a petition? I was suspended because of that petition, not because of any gross misconduct,” she said.

The Senator also highlighted what she described as a double standard in the Senate. She pointed out that while she was reprimanded for refusing to move her seat, male Senators had been involved in violent altercations without facing similar punishment. “Let’s talk about the gross misconduct that has happened in the Nigerian chambers. I was only told to move, and I refused to move my seat because I deserved to be notified; I deserved to be given a chance to explain why I should retain my seat. I have seen in that chamber where men fight, where Senators throw items at each other, curse each other, shout at each other, but they were not suspended. Why? Because they were men,” she explained.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also shared that she had endured sexual harassment from Akpabio for over a year, with her refusal to comply with his demands leading to a campaign of intimidation. She accused the Senate President of repeatedly blocking her efforts to raise important motions and push bills on behalf of her constituency. She added that even her husband, who is friends with Akpabio, attempted to intervene but was unsuccessful.

“I experienced sexual harassment over the past year in the hands of the Senate President, and because I refused to yield to his demands, it turned into malice, and my rights and privileges as a senator were deprived. I found the courage to speak up; yes, the breaking point was moving me from that seat; I have had to endure a whole lot in silence,” she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan described how she repeatedly approached Akpabio for support, but he would deny her opportunities to advance important legislation. “Things got difficult for me; I was always complaining. My husband would actually walk up to him because they are friends, saying, ‘My wife has a very important bill, her constituency needs this, why don’t you give her a chance to speak?’ And he’d tell me, ‘Next time, next time.’ So he deliberately kept on denying me this. Each time I walked to him, he’d tell me, ‘Right here I am the chief presiding officer of the National Assembly, so you have to please me, make me happy to get these privileges.’ And that happened several times. Because I refused, it developed into malice,” she recalled.

She questioned, “Which other way was I supposed to make my voice heard?” in light of the alleged mistreatment she endured.