Tag: Godswill Akpabio

The Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of Kogi State in the National Assembly (NASS), Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has accused Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of soliciting a romantic relationship with her.

TheNewsGuru reports that Natasha during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, February 28, 2025 disclosed that Akpabio, made inappropriate advances towards her during a visit to his residence in Akwa Ibom.

Recounting the incident on Friday, the Kogi Central senator claimed that the encounter occurred in December, just a day before their respective birthdays.

“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,” she said.

The Kogi senator further noted that since she rejected Apkabio’s sexual advances, the senate president has consistently undermined her role as a senator, including removing her from key committees and reassigning her Senate seat without notice.

She added that she had once visited Akpabio in his office, wherein the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State told her she would enjoy many benefits if she takes care of him.

Meanwhile, Natasha recently filed a 100 million naira suit against the office of the Senate President and Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The suit, marked CU/737/25 filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, also demands a public apology and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing defamatory statements against her.

Senator Natasha has recently engaged in a series of confrontations with Senate President Akpabio, highlighting tensions within the Nigerian Senate.

The Senate on Tuesday referred Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi) to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions over alleged disorderly conduct during a recent plenary session.

The committee, chaired by Sen. Neda Imaseun (LP, Edo), was mandated to turn in its findings in two weeks.

The upper chamber’s resolution was sequel to a voice vote after the lawmakers had revisited the controversy surrounding the recent altercation between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the senate leadership over seat allocation.

Coming under Order 1(b) and 10, the senate’s Spokesperson, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, condemned what he described as Akpoti-Uduaghan’s “extreme intransigence” during the senate session on Feb. 20.

“From that Thursday, the media was awash with this issue and I had to work on mending the perception of the 10th senate.

“The senate is not a platform for content creation but a place for lawmaking and oversight functions,” he said.

Adaramodu urged the senate leadership to enforce discipline, warning that ‘where there is sin, there must be penalty’.

“This chamber is not a place for theatrics or social media content creation. We are here to legislate, advocate for our constituents and provide oversight over MDAs, not to engage in media dramatisation,” he said.

Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim (APC-Ondo) also supported the motion, emphasising the importance of maintaining order and decorum in the senate.

Ibrahim urged all senators to respect the institution’s guiding rules, comparing the Standing Orders to the Bible and Quran for lawmakers.

Also, the Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion for the disciplinary review, affirming the senate’s commitment to its rules and internal order.

According to him, there is no one who does not have an opinion on this issue, but we are unified by our rules.

“Under our watch, we will not allow this institution to be discredited beyond what we inherited. Our integrity is non-negotiable,” he said.

Bamidele dismissed claims that the dispute was rooted in gender bias or discrimination, citing examples of senior senators who had accepted seat changes without protest.

Contributing, the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, described the incident as “an avoidable drama” and apologised on behalf of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

He urged the senate to focus on its legislative responsibilities, while allowing the ethics committee to handle the matter.

Responding, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, directed the committee on ethics and privileges to review the entire incident and report back to the chamber in two weeks.

According to Akpabio, the senate rules allow members to sit anywhere, but that contributions must be made from their designated seats.

He said that lack of familiarity with the senate procedures might have contributed to the altercation.

“The first day she (Akpoti-Uduaghan) was sworn in, she stood up to contribute and I was worried if she had even read the rule book.

“There is nothing wrong with being vibrant but everything is wrong with disobeying procedures,” he said.

Citing Order 66(2) and Section 55 of Senate rules, he underscored the need for senators to conduct themselves with decorum, including prohibitions on chewing gum, drinking water or being disruptive during sittings.

“The rules empower the senate president to suspend a senator for infractions for, at least, 14 days. It’s not me who made the rules; it’s in the rule book,” Akpabio said.

The Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of Kogi State in the National Assembly (NASS), Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a N100 billion sexual harassment suit against the office of the Senate President and Senator Godswill Akpabio.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that a Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, Mfon Patrick was also joined in the N100 billion sexual harassment suit filed against Senator Akpabio by Senator Natasha.

The controversy stems from a Facebook post allegedly made by Mfon Patrick, the third defendant, on his personal page.

The suit marked CU/737/25 was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, and it alleged that the defendants made and published defamatory statements against her on social media, causing harm to her reputation and dignity.

The suit also demands a public apology and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing defamatory statements against her.

Senator Natasha has recently engaged in a series of confrontations with Senate President Akpabio, highlighting tensions within the Nigerian Senate.

Natasha alleged that Akpabio has consistently undermined her role as a senator, including removing her from key committees and reassigning her Senate seat without notice.

She claims these actions culminated in the defamatory Facebook post, which she describes as a malicious attempt to tarnish her reputation.

The post, titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, contained disparaging remarks about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The post reportedly stated: “It is a bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about ‘pancaking’ her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan claims that the post was made at the request of Senate President Akpabio and has harmed her reputation.

She alleges that the publication has subjected her to public ridicule, resulted in the loss of business opportunities, and damaged her reputation among colleagues and constituents.

In the suit, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is seeking: “A declaration that the Facebook post is defamatory and has lowered her esteem in the eyes of the public and an order compelling the defendants to withdraw the publication and issue a public apology in a national daily newspaper.

“A perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing defamatory statements. N100 billion in general damages for the harm caused to her reputation and N300 million as the cost of legal action.”

The Claimant claims against the Defendants jointly and severally as follows:

“A declaration that the words caused to be published by the 1st and 2nd Defendants and published by the 3rd Defendant acting as the legislative aide to the 1st Defendant on his Facebook page with the heading – “IS LOCAL CONTENT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE NATASHA BIRTHRIGHT”, where the 3rd Defendant at the prompting of the 1st and 2nd Defendants continued further thus: ‘It is a bottled anger by the Kogi Lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers’ is defamatory, provocative, disparaging, lowering in dignity the estimation of the Claimant in the eyes of her colleagues and right-thinking members of the public.

“A declaration that the words ‘it is a bottled anger by the Kogi Lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers’ used and written by the 3rd Defendant at the prompting of the 1st and 2nd Defendants is defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection towards the Claimant by members of the public.

“An order of this honourable court compelling the Defendants to withdraw the said defamatory words and publication made against the Claimant immediately and to apologize to the Claimant in writing and publish same in one national daily newspaper widely circulated within the jurisdiction of this Court.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants whether acting by themselves, or through their agents, privies, assigns or associates from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory words herein stated or any other similar publications about the Claimant on the social media platform or in any other manner, which is capable of defaming the Claimant.

“An Order for payment of the sum of N100, 000,000,000 (ONE HUNDRED BILLION NAIRA as general damages.

“An Order for payment of the sum of N300, 000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) only as Cost of action.”