Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied allegations of sexual harassment made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpabio denied the allegation on Wednesday during the Senate’s plenary session after a one-week break.
He 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.”
Akpabio said he had been receiving calls about the matter since February 25 and was aware of the discussions on social media.
He urged Nigerians and the media to avoid making conclusions, asking them to wait for the court’s decision.
Shortly after his comments, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan raised a petition under Order 40, accusing him of sexual harassment and abuse of office.
Speaking under Order 40 of the Senate Rules monitored by Vanguard live, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that she had previously made the allegations during an interview on a national broadcast television station but was now officially presenting them before the Senate.
Akpabio, in response, directed her to proceed with the submission.
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Her petition submission came hours after rival protests erupted at the National Assembly, with her supporters calling for Akpabio’s resignation, while a pro-Akpabio group dismissed the allegations.
