Exactly 30 years ago, women all over the world made a bold declaration in what came to be known as the Beijing Conference. The 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was adopted at the Conference, stressed the need to uphold all human rights and fundamental freedoms for every woman without exception.

Since then, most governments have adopted by consensus a political declaration to respect, protect, and champion the rights, equality and empowerment of women, a fact which Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women, noted at the ongoing 69th session of the Commission in New York, when she said: “Rising to the challenges and opportunities of gender equality requires collective, decisive action across member states, now more than ever. At a time when hard-fought gains for gender equality are under attack, the global community has come together in a show of unity for all women and girls, everywhere.”

Sadly, going by what is happening in the Senate, Nigeria seems not to be part of that global community. Instead, the country has decided to play rogue on the fundamental issue of giving the rights of women a shot in the arm. Presently, there are only four women in the 109-member upper chamber of the National Assembly. That is a gross underrepresentation and disgraceful. More scandalous is the fact that one of the four, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is presently in the crosshairs of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, because she spurned his alleged sexual advances.

Matters came to a head last Thursday when the Senate rather than investigating the allegation suspended Natasha. To be sure, Akpabio has denied the sexual harassment allegations, but in doing so, he also made it practically impossible for Natasha to prove her case, if, indeed, she has any.

And that raises another question: how can a man claim innocence, yet refuses to take the high moral ground by proving his innocence beyond any reasonable doubt even when he has every opportunity to do so? Rather than proving his innocence, he is unrelenting in sundry acts of mischief.

But he apparently met his match in the fastidious woman, who in an attempt to draw him out sued him for N100 billion. Akpabio, in retaliation got the Senate to refer her to the disciplinary committee. In the ensuing cat and mouse game, she approached a Federal High Court in Abuja and got an order restraining the Senate committee from conducting disciplinary proceedings against her, with the case adjourned to March 10, 2025.

On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, the Senate committee dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment and abuse of office petition against Akpabio, declaring it “dead on arrival” based on procedural violations and legal constraints but the female senator re-submitted the petition on Thursday.

That was when Akpabio struck viciously. That same day, the matter was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, chaired by Neda Imasuen, a member of the Labour Party, from Edo State. The Committee dealt with the matter expeditiously, throwing out the sexual harassment allegation on the grounds that it violated Senate rules, because the petition was personally signed by her.

The committee which sat for only one day, even without hearing from Natasha and ignoring a court injunction recommended a six-month suspension for her with effect from March 6; closure of her office within the National Assembly and handing over of all Senate properties in her possession to the National Assembly Clerk; prohibited her from entering the National Assembly premises during the period and suspension of her salaries and allowances. The panel further recommended that she should be barred from representing herself as a senator both locally and internationally during the period and withdrawal of her security aides. They, however, said if Natasha, the aggrieved, submits a written apology, the leadership may consider lifting the suspension before the six-month period expires.

Akpabio, the accused, presided over the sitting, thereby being a judge in his own case. It was brazen. But anyone who expected any modicum of decency neither understands the character of the Senate nor the mentality of today’s men of power.

But, I am not surprised. The Senate is a cult. Nothing must be done to rock the boat. In her book, Bold Leap, Senator Chris Anyanwu wrote, “… fear of the leadership is the beginning of wisdom.” It is a house of conspiracies where “a senator may come with the best proposals for legislation, can be the brightest and hardest working in putting together ideas, but if the leadership does not care about that senator’s ideas, they will sit on them. They can also “can” them and they will become part of the archive of unrealized dreams in the legislature. That archive is mountain high and it is stained with the sweat and tears and frustrations of many enthusiastic, ambitious new legislators.”


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/natasha-akpoti-uduaghan-the-joke-is-on-akpabio-senate-by-ikechukwu-amaechi/