Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alleging sexual harassment, has been dismissed by the Senate.
During a probe session on Wednesday, Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, referred to the petition as “dead on arrival,” citing a violation of Order 40 of the Senate Standing Orders.
Imasuen explained that Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted the petition herself rather than having it sponsored by another senator, which made it procedurally incorrect. He also noted that the matters raised in her petition were already under judicial consideration, thus sub judice.
Despite the committee’s scheduled meeting, Akpoti-Uduaghan did not attend. The session, planned for 2:00 PM, was delayed until 2:58 PM when Imasuen arrived after waiting for both her and Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South). While Adaramodu showed up at 2:50 PM, Akpoti-Uduaghan was still absent when proceedings began.
Two weeks ago, this issue was referred to the Ethics Committee after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions during a plenary session prompted Senate President Akpabio to call for a thorough investigation, requesting a report within that timeframe.
During the discussions, Adaramodu indicated that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s public confrontation with the Senate President regarding her seat allocation had tarnished the Senate’s reputation. He also mentioned her recent interview with Brekete Family on Human Rights Radio and TV, where she reiterated her claims against Akpabio.
Following this, the Senate decided to forward the matter to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, under Senator Neda Imasuen, for further examination.
