The husband of embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, High Chief Emmanuel Uduagham, has finally reacted to allegations of sexual harassment by his wife against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
According to Chief Uduaguan who is the Alema of Warri Kingdom, he decided to come out in the open to throw his weight behind his wife.
According to him, he had personally met with Akpabio and begged him to stop harassing his wife, but the former Akwa Ibom State governor would not desist from the act.
Uduaguan, in a statement on Saturday, confirmed that Natasha had, on several occasions, reported the indecent advances made towards her by Akpabio and during his meeting with the Senate President, he had urged him to respect his wife, but that the issue had persisted.
Chief Uduaghan who described Sen. Natasha as a devoted wife, affirmed their strong marital bond and her unwavering truthfulness, even in difficult circumstances, adding that he had initially been reluctant to comment on the matter but was compelled to speak due to recent developments which he described as unnecessary sentiments being stirred and distracting from the serious allegations at the heart of the dispute.
“Without prejudice to the ongoing legal proceedings, I wish to emphasise that my wife was duly elected by her people due to the immense love, respect, and confidence they have in her, and she is committed to delivering quality representation to her district and the nation at large,” the the traditional ruler said.
“My wife has confided in me about her interactions with the Senate President, whom I considered a family friend.
“In response, I approached the matter with the utmost maturity and responsibility, as it is my duty as a traditional leader who has immense respect for constituted authority and upholds core family values to foster peace and harmony.
“I personally met with the Senate President and respectfully urged him to extend the courtesy and respect my wife deserves while also honouring the friendship between us. We reached an understanding and agreed to resolve the issue amicably.
“However, despite this agreement, my wife continued to express concerns about the harassment she has endured from the Senate President.
“I have unwavering faith in my wife’s loyalty and am fully committed to our marriage, which is grounded in love, compassion, and mutual respect. I would never trade her for anything, as she is the greatest joy of my life.
‘I now respectfully urge the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate President to treat my beloved wife with the respect and dignity she truly deserves while the relevant authorities and the court determine the underlying issues,” he stated.
Source: Ripples