Natasha drops another bombshell, says Nigerian Senate is like a ‘cult’

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has described the Nigerian Senate as operating like a “cult,” claiming that lawmakers are afraid to express dissenting views due to fear of retaliation.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio sexually harassed her, an accusation that has sparked significant controversy.

Her claims come in the wake of her suspension from the Senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct,” following an altercation over her seating arrangement with Akpabio.

Detailing her experience, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that the harassment took place at Akpabio’s country home while her husband was present.

“It was episode after episode, moment after moment. We were at his country home. He was taking me around his house. My husband was walking behind us. He held my hand,” she recounted.

“He then squeezed my hand in a very suggestive way. We women, we know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way.”

The senator further alleged that Akpabio made inappropriate remarks to her. “And he went, ‘Now that you’re in the Senate, I’ll make an opportunity for us to come here and have a good moment,’ you know, along that line.”

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She also recalled an incident in the Senate chamber when she forgot to wear her wedding ring. “There were about five senators there. He said, ‘Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring, is this an invitation to treat?’ You know statements like this.”

In response, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, the Senate’s deputy chief whip, dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims, insisting that Akpabio never made sexual advances towards her

“There was never a time the Senate President made sexual advances towards Senator Natasha, whether in his country home or in the Senate chamber,” Nwaebonyi told the BBC.

He also rejected her claim that her suspension was an attempt to silence her.

“Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true,” he said.

The allegations have further fueled debates on the culture within the Nigerian Senate, with many questioning the treatment of female lawmakers and the transparency of legislative processes.