On Wednesday, the Nigerian Senate rejected a sexual harassment petition filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following a heated plenary session marked by procedural debates and conflicting viewpoints.
At the outset of the session, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan stood to present her petition, reading it out loud before handing it to Akpabio, who initially accepted it. However, tensions flared when Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Munguno, questioned the petition’s validity on procedural grounds.
Referencing Order 40(4) of the Senate rules, Munguno cautioned that deviating from established procedures could result in “chaos and anarchy.” He claimed the petition was procedurally flawed, asserting that Senate rules prohibit a senator from signing and submitting their own petition. “Senator Natasha signed her own petition, which renders it invalid,” he stated.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan clarified that her legal case was not about sexual harassment but was instead concerned with defamatory comments regarding her attire. She invoked Order 10, allowing any senator to speak at any time, and insisted that her petition deserved consideration.
Former Senate Leader Abdullahi Adamu tried to de-escalate the situation by suggesting that since Akpabio had already accepted the petition, it ought to be forwarded to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct for review. However, this proposal further divided opinions, resulting in a flurry of points of order and a brief uproar in the chamber.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele weighed in, reiterating that no senator can author and sign their own petition. He also highlighted that the issue was already before the courts, as Akpabio’s wife had initiated legal proceedings, placing it sub judice and outside the Senate’s jurisdiction.
“Mr. President, I sympathise with you as a man facing accusations of sexual harassment,” Bamidele said. “However, we must adhere to the Constitution and our Rule Book, rather than our emotions. You accepted the petition based on sentiment, but we must uphold due process.”
In his defence, Akpabio clarified that his decision to accept the petition stemmed from a desire to avoid creating the impression that he was attempting to silence Akpoti-Uduaghan due to personal implications in the matter.
“I accepted that petition because I didn’t want people to think I was deliberately suppressing her,” Akpabio explained.
Despite calls for a closed-door session, Akpabio ruled that the plenary should continue. Ultimately, the Senate backed the Senate Leader’s argument and rejected the petition, bringing this contentious issue to a close—at least within the legislative chamber.
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