*The Nigerian Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, in the National Assembly, Abuja, explains it has summarily dismissed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan鈥檚 petition on alleged sexual harassment and abuse of office levelled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio due to her ignorance of Senate rules book, procedural violations and extant legal constraints

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Citing procedural violations and legal constraints, the Nigerian Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in the National Assembly (NASS), Abuja, FCT, instantaneously dismissed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan鈥檚 petition on alleged sexual harassment and abuse of office levelled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

绿帽献妻 reports the Senate Committee, which declared Natasha鈥檚 petition against Akpabio as 鈥渄ead on arrival鈥�, said the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State, in the Upper Legislative Chamber, missed it again, by signing the petition herself rather than having it endorsed by another individual, thereby rendering it procedurally invalid for consideration.

Akpoti-Uduaghan during one of the shouting matches in the Senate

It is recalled Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan February 20 this year had rejected her assigned seat in the Red Chamber, and openly challenged the Senate President鈥檚 mandate in this regard.

Natasha also accused the Senate President of sexual harassment in a shouting match during the plenary.

She, however, later slammed a N100 billion alleged defamation suit against Akpabio while the Red Chamber also referred her to the Senate Disciplinary Committee.

The Senator went a step further Wednesday, March 5 upon the resumption of the Senate plenary when she raised a petition under Order 40, accusing the Senate President of sexual harassment and abuse of office.

After requesting permission to step forward, the Senator formally, laid the petition before the Red Chamber of NASS.

The Senate subsequently, referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, directing it to review the matter as soon as practicable.

Speaking on the altercation resulting from the recent seat re-assignment between him and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at a plenary, Senator Akpabio had unequivocally hinted that the obvious unruliness and indecorous behaviour displayed by the Senator representing Kogi Central must have resulted from her missed mandatory 鈥渙rientation鈥� the National Assembly organises for the Federal legislators.

According to him, as a court-ordered Senator of the Federal Republic, Natasha is unfamiliar with the Senate procedures.

Akpabio then, tasked the NASS Management to quickly organise periodic sessions for the likes of Natasha, who displays crass ignorance of the extant rules governing the workings of the Nigerian Senate.

He also recalled that the Senate rules allow members to sit anywhere, but 鈥渃ontributions must be made from their designated seats.鈥�

The Senate President equally suggested that her apparent unfamiliarity with Senate procedures may have contributed to the altercation in the first place.

Is Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan conversant with contents of Senate rules book?

Recalling the maiden experience when the female Senator was sworn in 2023, Akpabio disclosed 鈥渢he first day she was sworn in, she stood up to contribute, and I was worried if she had even read the rule book.

鈥淭here is nothing wrong with being vibrant, but everything wrong with disobeying procedure.鈥�

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele restates the Senate’s commitment to its rules and internal order

Citing Order 66(2) and Section 55 of Senate rules, the Senate President further underlined the fact that all Senators must conduct themselves with decorum, including prohibitions on chewing gum, drinking water, or being disruptive during sittings.

On Natasha’s alleged indecorous behaviour and disrespect for Senate rules and internal order

On the controversy surrounding the recent altercation between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate leadership over seat allocation, other lawmakers reiterated the need to uphold parliamentary rules and decorum.

In a motion raised under Order 1(b) and 10, condemning what he described as Akpoti-Uduaghan鈥檚 鈥渆xtreme intransigence鈥� during the Senate session February 20, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Senate Spokesperson, revived the saga on the floor, and said 鈥渇rom that Thursday, the media was awash with this issue and I had to work on mending the perception of the 10th Senate.

鈥楾he Senate is not a platform for content creation but a place for lawmaking and oversight functions.鈥�

He urged the Senate leadership to enforce discipline among members, warning that 鈥淲here there is sin, there must be a penalty.鈥�

Emphasising the allocation of seats cum seating arrangements in the legislative chamber is matter of privilege, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele also reaffirmed the Senate鈥檚 commitment to its rules and internal order.

Opeyemi said: 鈥淭here is no one who does not have an opinion on this issue, but we are unified by our rules.

鈥淯nder our watch, we will not allow this institution to be discredited beyond what we inherited. Integrity is non-negotiable.鈥�

He, however, dismissed claims in certain quarters that the dispute between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan was rooted in gender bias or discrimination.

He as well cited examples of several senior (ranking) Senators who had accepted seat changes without protest.

Shaibu: Allocations of offices, seats remain prerogative of legislative leadership

Corroborating Opeyemi鈥檚 position of seat allocations in the legislative chamber, Phillip Shaibu, a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, argued that the seat arrangement row between Senators Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Godswill Akpabio should not be reduced to a gender affair.

Shaibu, who spoke on a Channels TV programme recently, said seats and offices of Federal lawmakers are 鈥減rivileges and not rights鈥� after all.

The former member of the House of Representatives from Etsako Federal Constituency between June 2015 and March 2016, also clarified that seats and offices must be lobbied for by Federal lawmakers.

Shaibu said: 鈥淚nterestingly, Natasha is my friend. Senator Akpabio, the president of the Senate, is my political leader.

鈥淭here are rules guiding the House. When I was in the National Assembly, it was the prerogative of the leadership of the House to allocate office and to allocate seats, and in the House, there is what is called lobbying; you lobby for everything.鈥�

Why we dismiss Natasha鈥檚 petition as 鈥榙ead on arrival鈥� –Committee Chair

Explaining the rationale for dismissing the petition against Senate President Akpabio, which Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted, Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Committee Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions Wednesday at the probe session in NASS, cited Order 40 of the Senate Standing Orders.

It was gathered that prior to the Committee鈥檚 sitting, Akpoti-Uduaghan was absent when the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct commenced its probe into her alleged refusal to comply with Senate rules.

However, after waiting for an hour, Senator Imasuen, expressed disappointment over her absence.

He reportedly said: 鈥淲e waited, and unfortunately, she is not here. I hope that before we conclude this procedure, she will join us.鈥�

The Chairman later asserted that the Committee would act within its mandate, explaining that 鈥渆very petition is referred to us by the entire Senate, and the committee has the authority to deliberate on such matters.鈥�

In restating that Kogi Central Senator does not understand the Senate rules, Imasuen said the Committee observed that Akpoti-Uduaghan signed the petition herself rather than having it endorsed by another individual, thereby rendering it procedurally invalid.

The matters raised in the petition, the Committee Chairman stated, are already before the court, making them sub judice and beyond the Senate鈥檚 jurisdiction.

Akpabio defends self, asserts 鈥榓t no time did I ever harass any woman鈥�

Meanwhile, as the man in the centre of the controversy, Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the resumption of the Senate plenary Wednesday, March 5 denied allegations of sexual harassment against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Senator Akpabio said: 鈥淎t 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.鈥�

According to Akpabio, he has been inundated with calls on the matter since February 25, and that he was aware of the growing social media discourse.

He, nonetheless, urged Nigerians, the media, and social media users to refrain from drawing conclusions by awaiting the court鈥檚 decision on the matter.

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