“Senate Must Not Be Blackmailed by Opportunistic Falsehood” – Nwebonyi Defends Akpabio, Dismisses Natasha’s Allegations

The Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has dismissed the sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling them politically motivated and a strategy to avoid disciplinary action.

In a statement obtained on Sunday, Nwebonyi described the claims as unsubstantiated and conveniently timed to divert attention from an ongoing disciplinary process against Akpoti-Uduaghan. He also criticized former Senate President Bukola Saraki for comparing his past case to the current allegations against Akpabio, arguing that the two situations are entirely different.

According to Nwebonyi, Saraki’s case involved a procedural issue concerning the importation of an official vehicle, which was resolved through the Senate Ethics Committee. In contrast, he said the allegations against Akpabio are personal, unverified, and only surfaced when Akpoti-Uduaghan faced disciplinary scrutiny.

He further alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan has a pattern of making what he called “reckless and false allegations” against prominent figures, including Reno Omokri, Dino Melaye, and Yahaya Bello. He claimed that her accusations typically involve “wild claims, media noise, and no evidence.”

Nwebonyi questioned why Akpoti-Uduaghan had not raised her allegations within the Senate if they were genuine, instead choosing to make them in a television interview. He maintained that the Senate operates based on reason and laws, not “sentiments and drama.”

Highlighting Akpoti-Uduaghan’s appointment as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content in November 2023, Nwebonyi argued that if she had truly been a victim, it would be unlikely that the Senate leadership under Akpabio would assign her such a critical role.

He insisted that the Senate must not be swayed by what he described as baseless allegations and urged Akpoti-Uduaghan to follow proper legal channels rather than using the Senate as a platform for diversion. According to him, the right course of action would be for her to answer before the Senate Ethics Committee regarding her alleged misconduct and, if necessary, file a formal case in the appropriate legal forum.

Nwebonyi warned against legitimizing allegations without evidence, stating that doing so could set a dangerous precedent where false accusations are used to disrupt Senate proceedings. He urged the Senate to remain focused and resist what he called an “opportunistic falsehood.”