Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) on Friday accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of victimising her because she refused his sexual advances.<\/p>\n
Akpoti-Uduaghan recently clashed with Akpabio during plenary about seating arrangements.<\/p>\n
She has been referred to the Senate Ethics Committee for probe.<\/p>\n
However, the Kogi lawmaker said in an interview on Arise Television\u2019s Morning Show that her altercation with Akpabio began with his request for a sexual relationship between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Senate President made a mistake by not allowing me to speak on that Order 10,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Senate President has the right to allocate seats, and senators should adhere, but for a senator to invoke Order 10, it means their privileges have been trampled upon, and that can be raised anywhere at any time.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, once a senator shouts Order 10, even if they are being dragged on the floor, they are supposed to be heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I raised Order 10, the Senate President ought to have allowed me to speak. He could have used his discretion to move that complaint to the Ethics and Privileges Committee or overrule it, but he failed to do that. Instead, he ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove me from the chambers and prepare for my suspension.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did mention that in the Senate, I have been dehumanised, maligned, and all that, and I believe that this situation was just the straw that broke the camel\u2019s back.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people do not know what I\u2019m about to say, and I\u2019m going to speak my truth while the Senate President is allowed to counter it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all started on December 8, 2023, a day before my birthday and his. We were all in Akwa Ibom, and he held my hand, saying he wanted to show me around his house. My husband was walking behind us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed that he hastened his pace while still holding my hand, and then he got to a particular sitting room and said, \u2018Do you like my house?\u2019 I said, \u2018Of course, sir, every room is beautiful.\u2019 He then said, \u2018Now that you are a senator, I\u2019m going to create time for us to come and spend quality moments here\u2014you will enjoy it.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I turned to look at my husband to see if he had heard that or not, the Senate President also turned and said, \u2018Let me show you my chapel as well.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThat evening, we left his house at about 11 pm and my husband asked what the Senate President told me. I wondered whether I should tell him what the Senate President said about bringing me there to \u2018have a good time\u2019 or if I should just let it go because I knew how much my husband adored him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 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. Many senators can testify to that. Each time the motion was listed, he would say, \u2018Senator Natasha, we can\u2019t take this motion because the good of the Senate does not accommodate it.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cHe kept doing that, so I went to his office and said, \u2018You know how important the Ajaokuta Steel Company is to me and my people. I\u2019ve noticed that you have repeatedly stepped down this motion.\u2019 He replied, \u2018Natasha, I\u2019m the Chief Presiding Officer of the Senate. You can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me and make me happy.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that point, I said I would pretend I didn\u2019t hear that. He then said, \u2018The ball is in your court.\u2019 When I got home, I told my husband to speak to the Senate President to allow my motion to go through.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding the nightclub incident, I believe that was not a slip of the tongue. He had told me that there are a number of ways we can have fun if we travel.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lawmaker urged Akpabio to defend himself.<\/p>\n
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) on Friday accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of victimising her because she refused his sexual advances. Akpoti-Uduaghan recently clashed with Akpabio during plenary about…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n