Abuja, Nigeria – March 7, 2025 – The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has reignited controversy in the Nigerian Senate by resubmitting a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
This comes a day after her initial petition was dismissed by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions.
During Thursday’s plenary session, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan announced that the latest petition was not personally filed by her but was instead submitted by her constituents, led by one Zubairu Yakubu.
This strategic move seemingly aimed to counter the objections raised during Wednesday’s session, where the petition was ruled inadmissible due to her direct involvement in an ongoing court case against the Senate President’s wife, Ekaette Akpabio.
Following the petition’s reintroduction, Senate President Akpabio questioned whether there were any legal barriers to accepting it. Akpoti-Uduaghan affirmed that there were none, prompting Akpabio to instruct her to formally lay the petition before the Senate.
The petition was then referred to the Senate Ethics Committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen, with a directive to conduct a legislative review and report back to the plenary within four weeks.
The move comes after Wednesday’s heated debate, during which Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North), opposed the initial petition.
Citing Senate Standing Order 40, Monguno argued that the matter was sub judice due to the ongoing court case and that the petition should not be entertained since it was signed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan herself. These arguments led the Ethics Committee to dismiss the petition, declaring it “dead on arrival.”
With the matter now set for a fresh review, political observers are closely watching how the Senate Ethics Committee will handle the allegations.
The resubmission of the petition signals a continued clash between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate leadership, further intensifying political tensions within the legislative chamber.