By Kingston Magare
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Friday escalated the feud between her and Senate president Godswill Akpabio. She accussed the former Akwa Ibom governor of sexual harassment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central on the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), made the allegation while speaking on Arise Television. She recalled that the incident happened in December 2023 right in the presence of her husband at Senator Akpabio’s residence in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.
“It all started on December 8, 2023, which was a day before his birthday and my birthday. We are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom, because he had a big fanfare in the stadium, myself, my husband, and a few of his close friends, we went to Akwa Ibom,” Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan narrated.
“At first, we were at Ikot Ekpene, his house in Ikot Ekpene, then we all moved to his house in Uyo, which was about 8 p.m., and he held my hand, and said he wanted to show me around his house. My husband was walking behind us, just three of us, walking around from room to room.
“He showed me the beautiful interior. This was done by this, by that, this designer here, he bought this from us, look how beautiful it is, and then I noticed that he hastened his pace while still holding my hand. My husband was behind, still on his phone, but he was catching up whenever he could. And then he got to this particular sitting room, and he said, “do you like my house?’ I said, of course, sir.
“Every room, beautiful, nice interior, quality taste. He said, ‘now that you’re a senator, I’m going to create time for us to come spend quality moments here. You will enjoy it.’ At that point, I just pulled away, and I was like, I don’t really understand what exactly that meant,”
“But when I turned around, my husband was already near me, and my husband looked at me and looked at him. I was beginning to wonder, did he hear part of that inciting statements or not? And then the senate president, too, I saw that he also had that thought, like, did my husband hear the invitation to treat or not?
“So then the senate president said, oh, by the way, let me show you my chapel. He has a chapel in his house as well. So, when we were going to the chapel, you know, we walked in silence and all. So that evening, before we left the senate president’s house at about 11 midnight to the four points in Ikot Ekpene, and my husband asked me, Natasha, what did the senate president whisper to you? What’s he telling you? I thought I should I tell him that he was speaking about bringing me in here at a special time for us to have a good time? Or should I just kill it there, wrap it as if there was nothing, because tomorrow is a big day.
“I know how much my husband adores the senate president. He loves him as a brother. My husband would do anything to support him.
“So I told my husband nothing. I just, I can’t remember what I created, but I just gave him some words to mask what was said. After, when we laid in bed, I looked to my right and my husband wrapped his hands around me and he said, my love, you know, you can tell me anything, what did the senate president tell you? Again, I was like, don’t you believe me? I said nothing. Moreover, it’s my birthday in a few minutes, let’s just be happy.
“Then my husband told me he doesn’t want to see me travel out of the country alone, and I should not go to the senate president’s house, because he has a guest house where many senators do go there, you know, after office to get approvals and all that. So I told him, okay, no problems.”
She mentioned other instances where Senator Akpabio had pestered her to “take care of him” so that she would have no problems on the floor of the Senate.
“I thought that was going to be the end. But then in February, I wanted to move a motion for the investigation on the ills of a corrupt practice in Ajaokuta Steel Company. I listed that motion five times. It was the sixth time that it was listed on the other paper that was approved.
“Many senators can testify to that. Each time the motion is listed, just before he takes it, he will say, oh, Senator Natasha, we can’t take this motion because the board of the Senate does not accommodate it. Or he will speak on others and then let it drag so that just before that motion is taken, the time will be well spent and wound.”
Senator Akpabio who has been in the spotlight before due to his relationship with women has yet to responded to the latest salvo. But he is expected to do so in the coming hours.
