A storm is brewing between former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Professionals, as the group pushes back against Saraki’s remarks concerning Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Saraki had accused Akpabio of “making a deliberate attempt to politicize and trivialize the serious concerns Nigerians have expressed about due process in the Senate” a claim the professional body vehemently refutes.
Saraki’s statement followed allegations of sexual harassment leveled against Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central. The former Senate President had demanded an open, transparent, and unbiased investigation into the matter.
However, in a fiery response, the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Professionals, through their National President, Edidiong John, and National Secretary, Kemfon Neke, accused Saraki of overstepping legislative boundaries.
They argued that his stance appears to be an attempt to manipulate Senate proceedings and create unnecessary discord.
The group pointed out that the matter is already before the courts, as both Akpabio’s wife, Unoma, and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan have taken legal action. They insisted that any parallel probe by the Senate at this stage would be improper and beyond its jurisdiction.
Urging Saraki to allow due process to take its course, they cautioned that his comments could inadvertently influence or disrupt the legal proceedings. The group further emphasized that, as a former Senate President, Saraki should be well aware that the Senate’s authority does not extend to adjudicating matters already in court.
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Quoting their statement, they asserted: “Dr. Saraki, with his extensive experience as a former Senate President, is or ought to be conversant with the Senate’s Standing Orders, particularly those prohibiting the consideration of matters pending before the courts. The pendency of this case in the judicial system renders any parallel investigation by the Senate improper and beyond its authority at this stage.”
Dismissing Saraki’s claims of politicization, the group maintained that this was purely a matter of legal and parliamentary procedure. They also questioned the manner in which Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan chose to handle her allegations, noting that instead of lodging a formal complaint with the police or the Senate’s Ethics and Public Petitions Committee, she first aired her grievances on national television.
“This sequence of events raises questions about the intent behind her approach,” the statement read, adding that Mrs. Akpabio viewed the claims as defamatory, leading her to seek legal redress.
The group further revealed that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has now officially submitted a petition to the Senate, which has been forwarded to the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen. The committee will determine if the Senate has jurisdiction to handle the case, given its sub judice status.
With legal and parliamentary processes already in motion, the group warned that any external agitation risks undermining the integrity of the Senate’s own procedures.