‘Senate President is very responsible, disciplined man’- Akpabio’s wife says amid threats to sue Natasha Akpoti

Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s wife, Ekaette, has responded to the allegation made by Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against her husband.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan, during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, accused Mr Akpabio of sexual harassment.

The senator, a member of the opposition PDP, recounted an incident on 8 December 2023 when she and her husband visited Mr Akpabio’s residence in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.

She alleged that during the visit, the Senate President held her hand, led her around his house, and made inappropriate advances towards her, even in her husband’s presence.

However, Mrs Akpabio defended her husband in an interview with journalists on Friday, which was uploaded on Advocate Broadcasting Network (ADBN) TV’s YouTube page.

She dismissed Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations as baseless, noting that she was present at the event.

Mrs Akpabio said: “My husband and Natasha Akpoti’s husband were very good friends. I don’t understand where this is coming from. There must have been a discussion at home for someone to come out and make such allegations. There must have been approval—Go ahead and say it. If that approval came from her husband, our friend, he would have spoken to me because we are close.

“He (Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband) is close to my husband, and if he didn’t approve of her (Akpoti-Uduaghan) to go on air and make such allegations, then the question is: does he have control? The session (the said event on 8 December 2023) took place in his presence, and he could have heard it. Even body language could have indicated that something was wrong. Security personnel are always with the Senate President. That night, I know I attended to guests. People were at home, and the house was never empty whenever my husband was around.”

Disciplined man

Additionally, the Senate President’s wife described her husband as a disciplined and respectful individual.

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She noted that his constituents and others were always around him whenever her husband was home, whether in the village or the state capital.

She added that she would sue Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan on behalf of her husband (the senate president).

“There’s no way a man as disciplined as my husband would even consider bringing another woman into his home. He respects me, our children, and our family values. He has also supported many women advocating for inclusion in government, and no one has ever made such an allegation.

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“The Senate President is a highly responsible and disciplined man. He always tells me, ‘If you can’t stand the heat, leave the kitchen.’ I am here to serve my people, who continue to pressure me. I told him, ‘This is becoming too much. Why can’t you do something?’ I am now the one pursuing legal action (against Akpoti-Uduaghan),” Mrs Akpabio said.

Background

This newspaper gathered that tensions between Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan and Mr Akpabio have been ongoing, with the latest disagreement arising over her seating arrangement in the Senate chamber.

Following the incident, Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Akpabio and his senior legislative aide, Mfon Patrick, demanding N100 billion in damages and N300 million to cover legal expenses.

The case stemmed from a Facebook post allegedly authored by Mr Patrick after a heated exchange between the Senate President and Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan last Thursday regarding her reassigned seat.

Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Senate leadership of harassment and intimidation, claiming she had been stripped of certain privileges and excluded from international engagements for which she was previously nominated.

She argued that these actions were deliberate attempts to silence her within the legislative body.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Senate referred the matter to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for investigation.

The committee, led by Senator Neda Emasuen of Edo South, was given a two-week deadline to present its findings and recommendations.

Ms Akpoti-Uduaghan did not attend Tuesday’s plenary session.

So far, the Senate President’s office has not issued an official response to these latest allegations.