“Provide Evidence of Sexual Harassment” – Igbo United Professionals Tackles Senator Natasha

The Igbo United Professionals (IUP) has called on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to present evidence supporting her sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. This challenge follows the senator’s recent statement threatening to release proof of her claims, which were met with a strong defense from Akpabio’s wife, Unoma.

In a statement signed by its President, Chief Emmanuel Ikechukwu-Jonathan, and released in Enugu on Saturday, the IUP accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of diverting attention from what it described as her “needless actions” in the Senate. The group traced the conflict to the reallocation of her seat in the Senate chamber, a move necessitated by the defection of some senators to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). According to IUP, Senate rules grant the leadership the authority to assign and reassign seats, and similar changes have affected other senators without controversy.

The statement criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reaction, labeling it as disrespectful to the Senate’s authority and calling for a public apology. It also suggested that part of her dissatisfaction stemmed from losing the chairmanship of the Local Content Committee, a position the group emphasized was a privilege granted by the Senate President, not a right.

IUP praised Senator Ireti Kingibe for providing what it described as a clearer picture of the situation, arguing that Kingibe’s statements refuted Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims and exposed an attempt at emotional blackmail against the Senate and its leadership. The group insisted that if the female senator had any evidence, she should present it, citing Section 131 of the Evidence Act, which requires a claimant to prove their assertions.

Further questioning Akpoti-Uduaghan’s motives, the IUP pointed to past interactions between the Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan families, suggesting that their previously cordial relationship undermined her allegations. The group also commended Unoma Akpabio for publicly supporting her husband.