Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of persistent harassment, victimization, and blocking her legislative efforts because she rejected his alleged inappropriate advances.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday, Akpoti didn’t mince words as she detailed what she described as a troubling pattern of professional sabotage and personal intimidation — a fallout, she claimed, of her refusal to engage in an improper relationship with Akpabio.
“It all started on December 8, 2023, a day before my birthday and his,” she began. “We were in Akwa Ibom at his house when he held my hand, saying he wanted to show me around. My husband was walking behind us. At some point, the Senate President quickened his pace, still holding my hand, and when we reached a particular sitting room, he said, ‘Now that you are a senator, I’m going to create time for us to come and spend quality moments here—you will enjoy it.’”
Akpoti described how she turned toward her husband, unsure whether he had heard the comment. She said Akpabio quickly changed the subject, offering to show her his chapel. “That evening, we left his house around 11 PM. Later, my husband asked me what the Senate President had said, and I debated whether to tell him the truth because my husband admired him so much,” she said.
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But the alleged advances didn’t end there. Akpoti accused Akpabio of using his position to frustrate her legislative work, particularly her efforts to investigate corruption at Ajaokuta Steel Company: a motion she claimed was blocked five times before finally being listed for consideration.
“I went to his office and asked why my motion kept getting stepped down,” Akpoti said. “He replied, ‘Natasha, I’m the Chief Presiding Officer of the Senate. You can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me and make me happy.’ I pretended I didn’t hear that, but he added, ‘The ball is in your court.’”
Akpoti compared her experience to that of a student being repeatedly failed by a lecturer for refusing inappropriate demands. “That’s exactly what I’ve been facing,” she said.
This explosive accusation comes on the heels of a heated altercation between Akpoti and Akpabio over seating arrangements in the Senate chamber. Akpoti claimed that after raising a procedural point under Order 10, which she insisted allowed her to speak when her parliamentary privileges were infringed, Akpabio ordered her removal from the chamber and threatened her with suspension.
“The Senate President made a mistake by not allowing me to speak on that Order 10,” she said. “Once a senator raises it, they must be heard. Instead, he called for the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove me and prepare for my suspension. This was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
As the allegations send shockwaves through the political establishment, calls for an investigation are likely to grow. Akpabio, for his part, has yet to respond publicly to these accusations, but Akpoti insists she’s ready for whatever comes next.
“I’m speaking my truth, and if the Senate President wants to counter it, he’s free to do so,” she said.
Source: Ripples