The President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has denied allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him by the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpabio while addressing the issue during plenary on Wednessday, dismissed the claims as baseless.
Though, his reaction comes amid growing political tensions as Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters besieged the National Assembly complex while calling for his resignation.
But dismissing the allegations, Senator Akpabio said, “At no time did I ever harass any woman. I was raised very well by my late single mother, and I have always upheld respect for women. I was even awarded the most gender-friendly governor in Nigeria.”
The Senate President, who said he had been inundated with calls on the matter since February 25, and that he was aware of the growing social media discourse, urged Nigerians, the media, and social media users to refrain from drawing conclusions and instead await the court’s decision on the matter.
However, immediately after his remarks, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan raised a petition under Order 40, accusing the Senate President of sexual harassment and abuse of office.
She requested permission to step forward and formally lay the petition and evidence before the chamber.
The Senate subsequently referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, directing it to review the matter as soon as practicable.
News Band reported that the Senate was hit by controversy in February when a seat rearrangement escalated into a face-off between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate President.
The dispute over the seat has stirred tensions within the Senate, leading to the allegation of sexual harassment by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, and raising fresh concerns about decorum and conduct within the legislative arm.