Natasha Akpoti Responds to Agbakoba, Says Only Court Can Rule on Sexual Harassment Case Against Akpabio

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has responded to comments made by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba regarding her sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, stating that only a court of law can determine the merits of the matter.

Agbakoba had earlier written to Akpoti-Uduaghan on April 14, requesting a retraction of her allegation and asking her to present evidence supporting her claim that Akpabio sexually harassed her on December 8, 2023. However, in a letter dated April 30, the senator denied receiving any such correspondence and said she had deliberately refrained from public comment due to ongoing court proceedings.

She noted that two cases are currently before the courts: one filed by Akpabio’s wife seeking N250 billion in damages, and another initiated by Akpoti-Uduaghan challenging her suspension from the Senate. She said the former relates directly to her harassment claim and therefore falls under the doctrine of *lis pendens*, which discourages public commentary on active legal matters.

Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Agbakoba of double standards, pointing out that his client’s legal team had invoked the sub judice rule to block a Senate investigation, yet was now resorting to the press to seek answers. “A litigant may not approbate in the courts and reprobate in the press,” she wrote.

She also criticised the demand for evidence as a misunderstanding of what constitutes sexual harassment, adding that respect and professionalism in previous interactions with Akpabio should not be interpreted as consent. “To do so trivialises a serious concern of sexual harassment, especially in a workplace using a dominant position,” she said.

The senator further argued that Agbakoba had no legal authority to demand a response outside of court. “A private legal practitioner, however distinguished, is not vested with adjudicatory authority under the Constitution or any statute of the Federal Republic,” she wrote.

Accusing Akpabio of violating natural justice by presiding over Senate proceedings that led to her six-month suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan referenced the principle *nemo judex in causa sua*, which holds that no one should be a judge in their own case. She asked Agbakoba to advise his client accordingly, stressing that the matter should be left to the courts.

She reaffirmed her complaint, originally lodged on February 28, 2025, and clarified that her latest response was intended to correct public records and prevent her silence from being misinterpreted. Any future correspondence, she added, should be directed to her legal representatives.

Earlier, Akpoti-Uduaghan had posted a satirical “apology” to Akpabio on Facebook, expressing what she described as “deepest sarcasm and utmost theatrical regret” for the “grievous crime of possessing dignity and self-respect” in his presence.