Sexual harassment; Another Senator reveals eye’s Witness account of what transpired at Akpabio’s birthday
The Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, has vehemently denied the sexual harassment claims against Senate President Godswill Akpabio made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
During a visit to his home in December 2023, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, reportedly accused Akpabio of making unwanted attempts toward her. During the visit, Akpabio allegedly offered an intimate relationship while showing her around his Ikot-Ekpene home, she recalled on February 28, 2025, on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’.
When she went to his office to address her move regarding the Ajaokuta Steel Company, she said the identical request was made once more.
However, Senator Nwaebonyi, who was present at Akpabio’s birthday celebration, has denied the allegations.
In an interview on Arise TV on March 3, 2025, he stated that the Senate President did not make any inappropriate moves toward Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan during the event, adding that he had no knowledge of the alleged harassment.
“On the issue of sexual harassment as alleged by Natasha, as God would have it, I am an eyewitness, and as I posted on social media, I narrated what transpired. On that fateful day of December 8, 2023, I was among the Senators that attended the birthday ceremony of the Senate President.
“Right from Senator Attah Airport, I drove in the same vehicle with the Senator and her husband. In fact, I was in the front seat while the senator and her husband were in the back seat. We attended a series of programmes with the Senate President within Uyo town. At the end of the day, we moved to Ikot-Ekpene, the hometown of the Senate President.
“I remember very well, as we were coming down from the vehicle, she was complaining about her shoes paining her, and she and her husband (had) to stay back while I rushed inside to join other senators to inspect the building of the Senate President.
“I must tell you for free, and that’s the truth, that Senator Natasha never joined us inspecting the building of the Senate President. She was seated at the parlour with her husband. The Senate President took us around, took us to the chapel, and called those who were Catholic Senators to join him in a Holy Mass.
“We celebrated the Holy Mass and, at the end of the day, ended up in the garden as he hosted us. There was never a time when the Senate President touched Senator Natasha.
“There was never a time the Senate President told Senator Natasha do you like my house? We will come back to have a good time. That never happened, Senator Natasha knows that very well.
“It is disheartening and unbelievable for a Senator of the Federal republic to, out of mere provocation — simply because you were given a new seat and probably your committee was changed — get up to lay a false allegation against a man that is old enough to be your father.
“The Senate can’t act on hearsay. Senator Natasha has never presented any issue before us.”
