Natasha Akpoti suspended for unruly behaviour, gross misconduct, Rep Kafilat Ogbara tells IPU
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday insisted that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for misconduct and not because of her sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking at the UN Inter-Parliamentary Union on Wednesday, the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development chair, Kafilat Ogbara, said she received a letter from the Senate to represent Nigeria at the conference.
Ms Ogbara further read out the position paper of the Senate by majority leader Opeyemi Bamidele asserting that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was “suspended for gross misconduct and unruly behaviour and not as a result of allegation of sexual harassment or assault.”
“Let it be unequivocally stated that Senator Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent act of misconduct and disregard for the Senate Standing Orders,” the letter stated.
On February 20, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan contested the reassignment of her seat without prior notice. Mr Akpabio also did not allow her to comment during a plenary because she spoke from her former seat.
The matter degenerated when Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan told the Senate president, “I am not afraid of you!”
Chief Whip Tahir Monguno countered Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan by saying that lawmakers like Ned Nwoko, who defected from PDP to APC, prompted the change in seating arrangement.
The Kogi lawmaker argued that the Senate rules allowed her to be duly informed before her seat was reassigned and that she did not have to learn of the change of seat at the plenary resumption.
The matter escalated when Mrs Akpabio-Uduaghan appeared in an interview on ARISE TV and accused the senate president of sexual harassment.
She said that she was being victimised because she rejected Mr Akpabio’s sexual advances.
On March 6, she was handed a six-month suspension based on the recommendation of the Senate ethics committee chaired by New York-disbarred and corruption-tainted Neda Imasuen.
The ethics committee cut off her salaries and those of her legislative aides. Her security detail was also withdrawn.
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