Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) has responded to a newly instituted ₦200 billion defamation lawsuit reportedly filed against her by Senate President Godswill Akpabio over allegations of sexual harassment.
In a statement released on Friday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she welcomed the legal action, noting that it would finally provide an avenue to present her claims, which she alleges the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges previously declined to entertain.
According to the senator, the committee refused to grant her a hearing on the matter, citing an earlier defamation suit filed by Akpabio’s wife and arguing that they could not deliberate on an issue already before a court. Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that the Senate’s internal rules prevented her from pursuing the matter in court without first appearing before the Ethics Committee — the same committee, she said, that had recommended her “illegal suspension.”
“With this new suit, I now have the opportunity to prove how I was sexually harassed and how my refusal to give in to his demands unleashed a series of unprovoked and unprecedented attacks on my person,” she said.
The senator ended her statement with a pointed message: “See you in court, Godswill Akpabio.”
