Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti on Friday disclosed that
she has been maligned, victimized, and denied privileges because she refused an
inappropriate relationship with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Natasha made this claim while narrating how Akpabio has been
making unwelcome advances toward her.
She disclosed this while featuring on Arise Television’s
Morning Show.
The senator accused Akpabio of blocking her motion because
she refused to engage in an inappropriate affair with him.
Recently, there has been an altercation between Natasha and
Akpabio over seating arrangements on the Senate floor.
However, narrating her ordeal with Akpabio, Natasha said:
“The Senate President made a mistake by not allowing me to
speak on that Order 10.
“The Senate President has the right to allocate seats, and
senators should adhere, but for a senator to invoke Order 10, it means their
privileges have been trampled upon, and that can be raised anywhere at any
time.
“So, once a senator shouts Order 10, even if they are being
dragged on the floor, they are supposed to be heard.
“Once I raised Order 10, the Senate President ought to have
allowed me to speak. He could have used his discretion to move that complaint
to the Ethics and Privileges Committee or overrule it, but he failed to do
that. Instead, he ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove me from the chambers
and prepare for my suspension.
“I did mention that in the Senate, I have been dehumanized,
maligned, and all that, and I believe that this situation was just the straw
that broke the camel’s back.
“Many people do not know what I’m about to say, and I’m
going to speak my truth while the Senate President is allowed to counter it.
“It all started on December 8, 2023, a day before my
birthday and his. We were all in Akwa Ibom, and he held my hand, saying he
wanted to show me around his house. My husband was walking behind us.
“I noticed that he hastened his pace while still holding my
hand, and then he got to a particular sitting room and said, ‘Do you like my
house?’ I said, ‘Of course, sir, every room is beautiful.’ He then said, ‘Now
that you are a senator, I’m going to create time for us to come and spend
quality moments here—you will enjoy it.’
“When I turned to look at my husband to see if he had heard
that or not, the Senate President also turned and said, ‘Let me show you my
chapel as well.’
“That evening, we left his house at about 11 PM, and my
husband asked what the Senate President told me. I wondered whether I should
tell him what the Senate President said about bringing me there to ‘have a good
time’ or if I should just let it go because I knew how much my husband adored
him.
“In February, I wanted to move a motion for the
investigation of anti-corruption practices at Ajaokuta Steel Company. I listed
that motion five times, but it was only on the sixth attempt that it was
approved. Many senators can testify to that. Each time the motion was listed,
he would say, ‘Senator Natasha, we can’t take this motion because the good of
the Senate does not accommodate it.’
“He kept doing that, so I went to his office and said, ‘You
know how important the Ajaokuta Steel Company is to me and my people. I’ve
noticed that you have repeatedly stepped down this motion.’ He replied,
‘Natasha, I’m the Chief Presiding Officer of the Senate. You can enjoy a whole
lot if you take care of me and make me happy.’
“At that point, I said I would pretend I didn’t hear that.
He then said, ‘The ball is in your court.’ When I got home, I told my husband
to speak to the Senate President to allow my motion to go through.
“You know when a student keeps failing because they refuse
to sleep with a lecturer? That is exactly what I have been facing, in simple
terms.
“Regarding the nightclub incident, I believe that was not a
slip of the tongue. He had told me that there are a number of ways we can have
fun if we travel.”
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