Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili has criticised the Senate for dismissing a petition by Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of making unwanted advances toward her, claiming in an interview with Arise News that her challenges in the Senate began after she rejected him.
She formally submitted a sexual harassment petition on Wednesday, but the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions threw it out, citing procedural violations.
Reacting on Thursday, March 6, Ezekwesili warned that ignoring the allegation would damage the Senate’s credibility. She insisted that the petition should be addressed in a public hearing without Akpabio presiding.
“Our National Assembly, which comprises the Senate and House of Representatives, belongs to the Nigerian people and not to politicians of any stripe or status,” she said in a post on X.
“This is why the National Assembly is called a public institution. No individual or group can capture a public institution and use it for personal benefit or advantage.
READ ALSO: Sen. Natasha Resubmits Petition Against Akpabio Over Alleged Sexual Harassment
“Whenever a situation like the one involving Senators Natasha Akpoti and Akpabio arises, lawmakers must understand that the Nigerian public wants transparency and full disclosure.
“Dismissing a serious accusation against the Senate President, as the senators irresponsibly did yesterday, is a democratic aberration. It cannot stand. Never.
“What happened yesterday in the Senate chamber, where a Senate President presided over a grave matter involving him, was farcical and a blot on our democracy.
“It is in the public interest that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition be urgently given the seriousness it deserves to uphold the institutional integrity of our Senate.”
On Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan resubmitted her petition during plenary. However, the Ethics Committee responded by recommending her suspension for six months, citing her confrontation with Akpabio over seating arrangements.