As controversy continues to mount over the sexual harassment claims alleged against the the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio by the Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti- Uduaghan, former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has accused the Red Chamber of trying to silence the Kogi – born Lawmaker.
Baring his mind on the issue during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily this Thursday, Akande challenged the Senate to stop what he described as gang up against Senator Akpoti- Uduaghan
According to the former Presidential Spokesperson, “They need to stop all these images, meetings, and ganging up against this woman. That has to stop. The leadership of the Senate needs to show us that there is going to be a dispassionate consideration of her allegations.
“Once that is sorted, if you think that there is a need to punish her for violating the rules, it is the better way to handle it. This idea of all of the men coming out and brandishing the rules is not looking pretty at all.
“This woman has said to the whole world that she has been sexually harassed. We have to be careful, the Nigerian Senate has to be careful not to create an impression that we are trying to silence her.
“What we have been seen so far is a lot of men holding meetings, speaking out, coming to the media to run this woman down. It is a poor reflection on the Nigerian Senate.”
Speaking on the same show, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, however, defended the Red Chamber and claimed that his colleague, Senator Natasha was pursuing a personal interest.
“Senator Natasha is claiming sexual harassment because she lost the chairmanship of local content and not that she was harassed by Senator Akpabio or any other senator,” the Ebonyi North Senator claimed.
“Senator Natasha was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content which she felt she was comfortable with. But in the Senate, from time to time, committee leadership is changed; reshuffled and her committee was affected like every other chairmen.
“She was shifted to the Senate Committee on Diaspora which didn’t go down well with Senator Natasha,” he further alleged.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexually harassing her, a claim that has been vehemently denied by the Number Three Citizen.
Recall, amid the sexual harassment claims, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions on Wednesday dismissed Senator Natasha’s sexual harassment and abuse of office petition against Akpabio, citing procedural violations and legal constraints.
