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Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has urged suspended legislator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to retract her intersexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing it arsenic intelligibly mendacious and unsubstantiated.
Agbakoba, a pb counsel to the Senate President, issued a 2nd ceremonial missive dated April 22, 2025, aft an earlier petition connected April 14 reportedly went unacknowledged by the embattled senator.
Agbakoba made this telephone astatine a property league held successful Lagos connected Tuesday.
He said Senator Natasha failed to supply clarity connected what helium described arsenic important contradictions successful her allegations, particularly concerning her alleged harassment connected December 8, 2023, and her consequent praise of Akpabio the pursuing time connected societal media.
“In our archetypal letter, dated 14 April 2025, we requested that you clarify contradictions successful your intersexual harassment allegation against our client, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
“Of enactment is the contradiction arsenic to timeline and dates. You person failed to clarify your allegation of 8 December 2023 and your exaltation of Senator Akpabio connected Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) connected 9 December 2023, the precise adjacent day. Rather than explain, you deleted the societal media post, which to america is highly concerning,” helium stated.
The elder lawyer besides queried the timing of Natasha’s nationalist accusation, noting the implicit 14-month hold betwixt the alleged incidental and her nationalist revelation connected February 28, 2025.
“You assertion the harassment occurred connected 8 December 2023, but your allegation was not made until 28 February 2025, 1 twelvemonth and 2 months later.
“During this period, you were seen with Senator Akpabio astatine respective legislative and non-legislative functions, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union league successful Geneva connected 24 and 25 March 2024, wherever you took selfies and radical photos with him, which were posted warmly connected your societal media pages,” helium added.
Agbakoba, portion presenting screenshots of specified posts, said the contradiction undermined the credibility of her claims.
“In airy of this and your nonaccomplishment to clarify inconsistencies raised successful our archetypal letter, we request that you retract your intersexual harassment allegation against our client,” helium stated.
The request from Akpabio’s ineligible squad came conscionable hours aft Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan published a mock “apology” missive to the Senate President connected her societal media platforms.
Titled “Satirical Apology Letter,” the station was laced with sarcasm and served arsenic a crisp critique of what she described arsenic the civilization of entitlement, impropriety, and unmerited advancement wrong the precocious chamber.
In the satirical letter, she accused high-ranking lawmakers of expecting governmental favours done idiosyncratic compliance alternatively than merit, hinting again astatine what she has repeatedly described arsenic a pervasive “quid pro quo” civilization successful legislative politics.
Senator Natasha archetypal accused the Senate President of intersexual harassment during a televised interrogation successful February 2025.
She claimed that Akpabio made inappropriate comments and suggested her legislative connection would lone beryllium considered if she “took care” of him.
She besides said helium invited her to walk backstage clip with him.
Meanwhile, Akpabio denied the allegations, saying helium had ne'er harassed immoderate pistillate and urged Nigerians to fto the tribunal grip the matter.
DAILY POST reports that connected March 6, 2025, the Senate suspended Natasha for six months without pay, citing “unruly and disruptive” conduct.
Her harassment ailment was dismissed connected procedural grounds, arsenic she submitted it herself alternatively than done different senator, which violated Senate rules.
Her suspension followed a quality implicit a caller seating statement successful the chamber, which she believed was meant to humiliate her.
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