The deputy chief Whip of the Senate House, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi has come forward as an acclaimed eyewitness to state that Senator Akpabio didn’t s3xually harass Senator Natasha on his birthday as the Kogi lawmaker earlier claimed.
He made the statement on Monday, March 3rd while speaking on Arise TV.
Recall that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that the speaker of the National Assembly s3xually harassed her on his birthday. This allegation came after a video of a heated session where the Senate president instructed her to change her seat in the chamber, but she refused, causing an outburst between her and the Senate president who in turn instructed the security to take her out of the chamber.
According to reports, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned to a member of the opposition who defected to the APC, causing the Senate President to instruct her to change seat. In a post she made on Facebook, Senator Natasha stated that the entire issue began at the Senate President’s birthday party on the 8th of December, 2023, where he touched her and made advances at her, but she turned him down.
Also, while speaking on the issue of her outburst with the Senate president on Arise TV on the 28 of February, Senator Natasha added: “I attempted to raise a motion regarding corrupt practices at the Ajaokuta Steel Company. I listed this motion five times, and it was only on the sixth occasion that it appeared on the order paper.
When I approached the Senate President to enquire why my motion had been repeatedly stepped down, he told me that as the Chief Presiding Officer of the Senate, he could offer me a great deal of opportunity if I took care of him and made him happy.” According to Senator Natasha who represents Kogi Central Senatorial district, after she turned down his advances, her motions began to be sidelined.
However, Senator Nwaebonyi on Arise TV on Monday asserted that he was one of the senators present at the Senate President’s birthday party in December 2023 and the allegation didn’t take place. He stated: “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.”
The Chief Whip further stated that Senator Natasha wasn’t with other senators when the Senate President was taking them around his house. He said Akpoti-Uduagha was seated at the parlour with her husband when the tour took place and had called those senators who are Catholic to join him in a Holy Mass.
According to Senator Nwaebonyi, Senator Akpoti-Uduagha only accused Akpabio of sexual harassment because she was moved to another seat.
Meanwhile, the wife of the senate president, Unoma Akpabio has sided with her husband in denying Senator Natasha’s allegations against her husband. She opined that her husband is a disciplined and jovial man who is often misinterpreted.
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