Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has formally submitted a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Addressing the Senate under Order 40, she referenced her previous remarks on Arise TV, where she accused Akpabio of inappropriate advances, and decided to officially lay the petition before the legislative chamber.
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan countered that the ongoing court case was unrelated to her petition, as it involved a defamation lawsuit against Akpabio’s social media aide, not the harassment claims themselves.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele further rejected the petition, insisting that it was defective and should not be accepted.
Quoting order 40, rule 7, he said “senate should not receive or deliberate on any matter to which actions are pending in the court of law”.
Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected Monguno’s point, arguing that he has got the sequence of events wrong.
“This matter is not in court. The matter in court is a defamation against the senate president’s special assistant on social media, Patrick Mfon, who accused me of dressing indecently to the senate,” the Kogi lawmaker said.
Opeyemi Bamidele, the senate leader, also debated against the laying of the petition
“We cannot relax our rules. This petition cannot stand. It is in court. It is defective. There is no way we can accept this petition,” Bamidele hollered.
The senate leader then moved that the senate goes into a closed session.
A brief rowdy session ensued before calm was restored.
Akpoti-Uduaghan clashed with Akpabio on February 20 over seating arrangements. She was thereafter referred to the senate’s disciplinary panel for further action.
Recall that on February 25, she filed a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against the senate president.
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