Akpabio blasts Natasha Akpoti for embarrassing Nigeria at UN meeting

• Senator Natasha Akpoti claimed Nigerian Senate suspension due to sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio, sparking controversy and attracting international attention.

• Senate President Akpabio criticized Natasha for misrepresenting the Nigerian Senate’s situation and claiming it was harmful to the legislative body’s integrity, stating her claims did not align with the truth.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has publicly condemned Senator Natasha Akpoti for what he termed a national disgrace during her recent participation in a United Nations (UN) meeting. Akpabio accused Akpoti of misrepresenting facts and disseminating misleading information to the international community concerning the sexual harassment allegations she had previously raised.

On Tuesday, March 12, Senator Natasha Akpoti attended the UN Internet-Parliamentary Conference in New York, where she asserted that the Nigerian Senate had suspended her in response to her allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio. Her remarks sparked controversy, attracting attention from both domestic and international observers.

During a Senate plenary session on Thursday, March 13, Senate President Akpabio voiced his dissatisfaction with Akpoti’s statements, asserting that she had mischaracterized the situation and unjustly depicted the Nigerian Senate to a global audience. He maintained that her assertions were inconsistent with the actual facts of the case and detrimental to the integrity of the legislative institution.

In addressing the issue, Akpabio remarked:

“I am aware that she distorted the facts and globalized the matter, embarrassing the Senate by giving a different narrative. I appreciate Hon. Kafilat for stepping forward to clarify to the international media that what was presented was completely different from reality.”

He further elaborated that Senator Akpoti had initially submitted her petition to the Nigerian Senate but failed to allow the appropriate legal processes to unfold. Instead, she pursued the matter through the courts and subsequently escalated it to an international forum. Akpabio expressed concern that such actions could have significant repercussions, particularly in discouraging the appointment of women to prominent leadership roles within politics.

“She brought the matter before the Senate through a petition but did not allow us to examine it. Instead, she took it to court and later to the international community. Actions like these could discourage politicians from appointing women into key positions.”

The discussions ignited by Natasha Akpoti’s remarks during the UN meeting persist in generating debate within Nigeria, as numerous individuals share varying perspectives on the potential consequences of her actions.