“Why Natasha made useless allegations against me” – Akpabio

Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio has strongly dismissed allegations leveled against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, dismissing them as baseless and politically motivated.

Akpabio claimed that the accusations only surfaced after Natasha Akpoti’s seat and committee assignment in the Senate were changed, suggesting that her claims were a reaction to these adjustments.

Speaking at an event marking International Women’s Day on Saturday, Akpabio insisted that the allegations were fabricated and intended to tarnish his reputation.

“It was only yesterday that I realized that what we are talking about only happened when there was a change of seat. That is when hell was let loose, and all sorts of allegations came up—only after the change of seat and change of committee, which my Senators know happens from time to time,” he stated.

The Senate President pointed out that the alleged incident was said to have taken place on December 8, 2023—just a day before his birthday.

However, he noted that neither he, his wife, nor any Nigerian heard any accusations at the time, questioning why the claims only emerged months later after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s committee was reassigned.

“This is said to have happened on December 8, a day before my birthday, which was celebrated in the stadium in 2023. So from December 8, 2023, I never heard, my wife never heard, no Nigerian ever heard, even her husband never heard any issue of sexual harassment—until her committee was changed, and then her seat was changed, he added.

Following her six-month suspension from the Senate, Natasha Akpoti’s allegations have sparked widespread debate. However, Akpabio maintained that similar accusations she made in the past had also been unproven.

“Have you ever wondered about the trauma caused by that same woman to the other people she has accused in the past? None has been proven so far. Do you even wonder about the trauma this caused to the 10th Senate and the image of the Senate with all these useless allegations?” Akpabio questioned.

The Senate President further defended his integrity, emphasizing that he had worked with many women over the years without any history of misconduct.

“Look at these beautiful women. They have come across me so many times. Have I ever harassed any one of you? Or is the person thinking that you are not beautiful?” he asked.

His remarks come amid growing backlash over Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, with critics questioning whether the disciplinary action was fair.