Akpabio Dismisses Allegations by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Useless

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed allegations made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), attributing them to a dispute over a change in her seat within the Red Chamber.

Akpabio, speaking at an event to commemorate International Women’s Day on Saturday, claimed that the lawmaker—who has since been suspended for six months—traumatized him and others with her accusations.

He maintained his innocence, insisting that none of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations were true and that she had a history of making unverified claims.

“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 committee, which my Senators know happens from time to time,” Akpabio stated.

He further questioned why the allegations surfaced only after the committee and seat changes, despite the supposed incident allegedly occurring on December 8, 2023.

“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.

The Senate President also criticized the impact of the allegations on the 10th Senate’s image, describing them as baseless.

“Do you even wonder about the trauma this caused to the 10th Senate and the image of the Senate with all these useless allegations? I have refrained from making a statement,” he said.

Akpabio, addressing the audience, sought to defend his character, stating, “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?”

His remarks come amid growing public scrutiny following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension and accusations of misconduct against him.