Akpabio vs Natasha: Senate or Soap Opera?

Femi Akintunde-Johnson

In a period when Nigeria’s Senate is expected to focus on pressing national concerns – economic turmoil, security crises, and policy reforms – it is instead embroiled in a scandal that seems to belong more to a television drama than the chambers of legislative authority. At the center of this latest controversy is Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a man never far from political intrigue, and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, whose accusations have not only sparked public outrage but have also deepened the credibility crisis of Nigeria’s political elite.

What began as a routine political clash over seating arrangements in the Senate chamber has escalated into allegations of sexual harassment, power plays, and institutional victimization.

  Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims against Akpabio, made during an interview with Arise News, have added a deeply personal and unsettling dimension to the ongoing political standoff. She alleges that Akpabio made inappropriate advances toward her in his residence in Akwa Ibom, suggesting that their shared birthdays were an opportunity for “quality moments.”

 She narrated thus: “It all started the day before his birthday and my birthday because we are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom. At first, we were in his house at Ikot Ekpene. Then we all went to his house in Uyo, then he held my hands, walking around from room to room, he showed me the beautiful interiors. He got to this particular sitting room and asked me if I liked his house. I said of course, Sir, every room is beautiful, Quality taste. He said, Now you are a senator, I am going to create time for us to come create quality moments here. You will enjoy it.’ At that point, I just pulled away because I didn’t understand what he meant.”

Her discomfort with his remarks and subsequent rejection of his alleged overtures, she claims, led to a pattern of professional victimization.

 The Kogi Central senator insists that her motion to investigate corruption in Ajaokuta Steel Company was deliberately stalled by Akpabio. According to her, the motion was listed five times, only to be dismissed on grounds as flimsy as the “mood of the Senate.” It was only on the sixth attempt that she managed to get it approved – a delay that raises legitimate questions about the undue influence wielded by the Senate President over legislative proceedings.

 Furthermore, Akpoti-Uduaghan claims that Akpabio’s retaliation extended to her seat reassignment in the chamber. Her refusal to move to a new seat – assigned following the defection of two opposition senators to the ruling party – led to an explosive confrontation, culminating in her near-forcible removal from the chamber. This incident, while seemingly procedural, carries undertones of a political power play designed to humiliate and silence her.

Predictably, the Senate leadership has pushed back against the allegations. Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi, has dismissed the accusations as “personal, unsubstantiated, and conveniently timed.” 

 Nwebonyi threw a counter-accusation, alleging serial and similar “reckless and false allegations” against other prominent individuals like Reno Omokri, Dino Melaye, and Yahaya Bello. He added: “If she truly believed she was being victimised because of an alleged sexual harassment incident, the proper forum to raise such a grievance would have been the Senate itself, not a television interview. The Senate is moved by reason and laws, not sentiments and drama….”

 He had more in his pouch: “If she had truly been a victim, why would the Senate leadership, under the same Akpabio, assign her such a critical leadership role? …The Senate and Nigerians should not fall for this diversionary tactic. The Senate must stay focused, maintain order, and refuse to be blackmailed into legitimizing what is clearly an opportunistic falsehood.”

The framing of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations as a mere distraction from disciplinary proceedings is a classic political maneuver – one that shifts the conversation away from the substantive claims she has made. By painting her as a lawmaker seeking to avoid accountability, the Senate leadership appears intent on neutralizing her allegations without addressing them directly.

The controversy took an unexpected turn when Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Alema of Warri Kingdom and husband of Akpoti-Uduaghan, broke his silence. While he refrained from commenting on the legal dimensions of the case, his statement was both a defense of his wife’s character and an indictment of the political establishment’s treatment of her.

His published statement: “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 continues to express concerns about the harassment she has endured from the senate president.” 

Chief Uduaghan’s revelation that he had privately met with Akpabio in an attempt to resolve the matter amicably complicates the Senate President’s position. If, as he claims, Akpabio had previously agreed to treat Akpoti-Uduaghan with respect but has since continued to target her, it lends credibility to the senator’s allegations of ongoing harassment. His intervention also frames the issue not just as a political dispute but as a matter of personal dignity and gendered power dynamics in Nigeria’s corridors of power.

At its core, this scandal highlights the broader issue of power and gender in Nigerian politics. The pattern is familiar: a woman in public office raises serious allegations against a powerful male counterpart, only to face an orchestrated campaign to discredit her. It is a cycle that thrives in an environment where institutional protections for women are weak and where whistleblowing is often met with swift and brutal retaliation.

While Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims require legal and procedural scrutiny, the dismissive response from Senate leadership suggests an unwillingness to engage with the matter in good faith. Instead of launching an independent inquiry into the allegations, the default reaction has been to frame her as a troublemaker.

 The Nigerian public, already weary of political theatrics, has reason to be skeptical of both sides. If Akpabio is innocent of these charges, why not call for an independent investigation rather than dismiss them outright? And if Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims are indeed politically motivated, what does that say about the internal rot within the Senate that allows such allegations to be weaponized in the first place?

A Senate in Disarray: Beyond the personal drama, this episode is a damning indictment of the Nigerian Senate’s priorities. At a time when inflation is crippling households, insecurity remains a daily threat, and governance is in dire need of reform, the nation’s legislative body is mired in yet another scandal that does nothing to address the real concerns of Nigerians. 

Whether Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations prove true or not, one thing is certain: the Nigerian Senate, once again, has demonstrated that self-preservation and power games take precedence over national service. And in this relentless cycle of political machinations, the people they claim to represent are the ultimate losers.