Akpabio dismisses resignation calls over sexual harassment allegations

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has declared that he will not resign from his position, despite growing pressure from civil society organisations (CSOs) and various advocacy groups, following serious allegations of sexual harassment and alleged links to electoral fraud dating back to the 2019 general elections.

Akpabio, a former governor and senator under the All Progressives Congress (APC), is facing intensified scrutiny after Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) accused him of sexual harassment.

The allegation stems from a heated altercation in February over seating arrangements in the red chamber, which ultimately led to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate in March.

The controversy further escalated after the Court of Appeal in Calabar, Cross River State, on April 30, upheld the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, a soil science academic at the University of Calabar, for manipulating election results in Akwa Ibom State. Ogban was convicted for falsifying results in favour of Akpabio, then an APC senatorial candidate.

The ruling has reignited public debate over the legitimacy of Akpabio’s 2019 electoral run and cast a long shadow over his continued leadership of the Nigerian Senate.

However, during Thursday’s plenary session, Akpabio vehemently rejected calls for his resignation, responding to comments made by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who had urged lawmakers to stay focused and not be distracted by external controversies.

“I will not have answered you, but for the fact that you said those who would have asked you to step down. Who told you I was going to step down?” Akpabio asked rhetorically.

“If you watch the colour of America, there are Black people who went to prison for false allegations. Some were there for 25 years. I’m not one of those people who will step down over false allegations.”

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The Senate President maintained that the accusations against him are baseless and that he will not resign based on unproven claims.

“When it is eventually proven that the allegation is false, they will say, ‘Oh well… I’m not that bad.’ So if you had that in mind, please cancel it.

Earlier in the week, during the Senate’s resumption on Tuesday, Akpabio delivered a speech appealing to his colleagues to recommit themselves to national service, emphasizing integrity and patriotism as guiding principles.

“Let us concentrate on legislation that promotes national unity,” he said, signaling a desire to move beyond the current controversies and refocus the Senate’s attention on governance.

Despite Akpabio’s defiant stance, CSOs and political commentators have continued to question his moral authority to lead the Senate amidst unresolved allegations.

Calls for independent investigations into both the harassment claims and the electoral fraud links have intensified, with many arguing that the credibility of the National Assembly is at stake.