Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, has alleged that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is victimising her because she turned down his sexual advances.
Recall that Senator Natasha and Akpabio were engaged in shouting match on the floor of the senate last week over sitting arrangements, during which she accused him of trying to suppress her voice, whilst declaring that she's not afraid of the senate president.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV Morning Show on Friday, Senator Natasha elaborated on the claims, narrating how the senate president made advances on her in the past, and subsequently became hostile because she did not accept.
"It started when he had a birthday. We share the same birthday. And he had this big event in Akwa Ibom. We all went there. I went with my husband. The event was at the stadium, but we first went to his house at Ikot Ekpene. While in his house, he held my hand and said he wanted to show me around his house," she said.
"He was was taking me around and showing the different places. My husband was walking behind us, but was pressing his phone. At a point, his slowed down his steps as he continued to hold my hand. Then he took me to his guest room and asked if I liked it. I told him the room is impressive, then he said, 'now that you are in the senate, I'm going to create time for us to come here to spend time together.'
"At that point, my husband came closer and the way he looked at me, I suspected that he may have heard what the Senate President said. Later, my husband started asking me what the Senate President whispered to me in his house. I didn't want to tell him what he said, so I told him it's nothing. Later that night, he wrapped his hands around me and asked me again what the Senate President told me, but again, I told him it was nothing."
Senator Natasha said she thought it had ended there, but she kept being targeted by the Senate President.
"I thought that was going to be the end but then in February I wanted to move emotion for the investigation on corrupt practices in Ajeokuta Steel Company. I listed that motion five times. It was on the 6th time that it was listed on the order paper. Each time the motion is listed just before he takes it he will say, Oh, it's Senator Natasha, we can't take this motion because the mood of the senate doesn't accommodate it. Or he will speak on others and let it drag so that before my motion is taken, the time will be well spent.
"He kept on doing that. One day I went to him in his office and I said, Senate President, if you know how important this Ajeokuta Steel Company is to me; you know how important it is to my people and to Nigerians. I have noticed that you have stepped down this motion.
"As a matter of fact a number of senators had told me to go and meet him and played with him so that he will take it. And I was like sir please why can't you take this motion?
"He then said, Natasha I am the chief presiding officer of the Senate, you can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me. At that point I said sir let me just pretend that I didn't hear this. He said, well the ball is in your court.
"I left his office and when I got home I told my husband. I did not tell my husband what happened, I just told him please help me speak to the Senate president to allow my motion to scale through. I also spoke to the Deputy Senate President and to the Senate Leader, and a number of senators to please intervene.
"But I never told them what happened. My husband had to take a trip to London. At that time, the Senate President travelled to London. My husband met with the Senate President in London and pleaded with him to help his wife and take her motion on Ajeokuta; that it is very important to her. He told him that he did not take it because he was protecting me. Protecting me from what?
Anyway at the time the motion was finally taken, it was a Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau that actually took it. The Senate president stood up and walked out. And from there many other incidents happened. "
Asked if he assumes that what happens to her in the senate is because she has not agreed to certain propositions, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan said, "You know the situation you see in the universities whereby a student is continuously being failed just because she has not slept with the lecturer? That's what I have been facing in simple terms."
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