Osamagbe Imadiyi
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio was dismissed by the Senate on Wednesday, describing it as ‘dead on arrival.’ Her actions were described by the red chamber as a violation of Senate Standing Rules.
This comes as Akpoti-Uduaghan avoided the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which was looking into her dispute with Akpabio over Senate seating arrangements. In an Arise Television interview, the Kogi senator claimed that Akpabio made sexual advances on her during a visit to his home in Akwa Ibom on December 8, 2023.
She claimed that Akpabio held her hand, led her around his house, and made sexual advances on her while her husband followed behind them. She also claimed that Akpabio had previously asked her to’make him happy’ if she wanted her motions to be considered smoothly on the Senate floor.
The allegations came just days after the Senate unanimously referred her to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions to protest the upper chamber’s new seating arrangements. However, the Senate President denied the sexual harassment allegations during Wednesday’s plenary, stating that he has the utmost respect for women. He described the accusation as false and unfounded.
Mohammed Monguno, the Senate’s Chief Whip, described her actions as a violation of Senate Standing Rules. He cited Rules 40 (1-7), stating that “A petition may only be presented to the Senate by a Senator, who shall affix his name at the beginning thereof.”
“A Senator presenting a petition shall limit himself to a brief statement of the parties from whom it originated, the number of signatures attached to it, and the material allegations contained in it, and shall read the prayers of such petitions.
“All petitions shall be ordered without question and placed on the Table. These petitions will be referred to the Public Petitions Committee. No Senator may present a petition to the Senate that he has personally signed. The Senate should not accept or tolerate any matter on which actions are pending in any court of law.”
Her petition was later rejected by Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions Chairman Neda Imasuen, who called it “dead on arrival.” Additionally, he overturned an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja that attempted to stop the Senate from punishing the senator from Kogi.On Wednesday, he gave a speech at the first meeting of the Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions Committee.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, was not present, and no presentation was made on her behalf. The chair of the panel stated that, based on the counsel of her attorneys, the Kogi Central Senator most likely did not accept the committee’s invitation.
He claimed that because the judiciary cannot meddle in legislative matters, the committee was not bound by the court order that Akpoti-Uduaghan had obtained. Imasuen said, “Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was duly invited to this hearing,” regretting the Kogi lawmaker’s absence. Unfortunately, despite our waiting, she has not arrived. I am hoping she will join us before we wrap up this process.
