“Even here she has brought a petition and she has not allowed us to even look into it. She went to court and then she has not allowed the court to look into it. She has gone to the international community and she may not even allow the international community to look into it. She might decide to run to…I don’t know where. I don’t want to be misquoted,” Akpabio said.
The 10th Senate on Thursday March 13, 2025, during a plenary session, passed a vote of confidence on the Senate President, Senator God’swill Akpabio, assuring him of their unwavering support over sexual harassment allegations from Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and their stance on her suspension.
On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in her quest for justice, had reported her case to the United Nation’s Inter-Parliamentary Union in New York, asking that the international intervene.
She told the UN that she was illegal suspended for six months due to her sexual harassment allegations on the Senate President after she filed a petition, contrary to the Senate’s stated reasons of her sheer misconduct and deliberate neglect of the Senate Standing Rules of 2023 (As Amended).
Raising the motion to pass a vote of confidence, Ekiti Central lawmaker and Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele asked that the senate makes it stand clear to the Nigerian public, to counteract the misinformation that has spread wide already; and to also conclude the matter and focus on the necessary matters of the senate which concerns the wellbeing of Nigerians.
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The motion was seconded by the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewumi of Osun West, wherein, a vote of confidence was passed.
The Senate, while speaking, condemned the actions of Senator Natasha Akpoti taking the matters of the Nigeria senate outside the shores of Nigeria, in order to present Nigeria in bad light to the international community, saying she had seriously embarrassed Nigeria.
“I’m aware further that she (Akpoti-Uduaghan) has now externalise the matter by attempting to embarrass the Federal Republic of Nigeria by going to give a narrative at the IPU UN event, totally different from what occurred in the Senate,” Akpabio said.
Akpabio expressed gratitude to House of Reps member, Rt. Hon. Kafilat Okpara, for stepping up to give a press conference, urging international media to not take what Senator Natasha said as true, which did not embody the facts.
“But I want to thank Rt. Honourable member, Kafilat Okpara, who had to give a press conference in New York to caution the international press not to vilify Nigeria, but to note that the facts presented by her were totally out of tune with what occurred in the Nigerian parliament and that we have our own internal mechanisms of resolving issues in Nigeria.
“Outside this parliament, we also have the judiciary which she is even standing before the judiciary, so I don’t know why she would do so. Even here she has brought a petition and she has not allowed us to even look into it. She went to court and then she has not allowed the court to look into it.
“She has gone to the international community and she may not even allow the international community to look into it. She might decide to run to…I don’t know where. I don’t want to be misquoted.
“But the reality is that we remain resolute. We are law abiding. We operate through the rules of the Senate, which is an extension of the powers and privileges given to us by the grund norm, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola, also faulted Sen. Akpoti for her actions, saying she portrays herself to be bigger than the senate, but she cannot be.
Meanwhile, Igbo TV had reported that the IPU President had promised Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that her matter would be looked into, but until they hear from “the other side”.
