Senator Ireti Kingibe, who serves the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), disclosed on Friday that Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti, had a prior affiliation with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, before her tenure in the Senate.
Nonetheless, Kingibe emphasized that the other three female senators lacked any personal ties to Akpabio before assuming their positions, which set them apart from Natasha.
It was reported that Kingibe made these remarks during an interview on Arise TV as she addressed Natasha’s allegations of sexual misconduct against Akpabio. Natasha claimed that Akpabio had sexually harassed her and withheld certain benefits after she rebuffed his advances.
In defense, Akpabio stated that the other female senators had not spoken out about their experiences for undisclosed reasons. His wife, Unoma, also refuted Natasha’s allegations, implying that the Kogi Central Senator was merely seeking attention for her own interests.
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Kingibe asserted that the current situation between the two relates to the rules governing the Senate, and noted that other women in the Senate have also faced issues multiple times within the House. She mentioned that on the day the incident occurred between Akpabio and Natasha, she was not present but learned that other men had also been involved.
She stated, “I want women to understand that we must adhere to the regulations of the institution we choose to engage with. Is there sexual harassment between them? They already had a personal connection before arriving at the Senate.”
Further elaborating, she said, “The three of us had no prior relationship with Akpabio before entering the Senate. I do not have any association with Akpabio to engage in discussions about sexual harassment with him. When I go to the Senate and my colleagues or Natasha is absent, I handle documents on their behalf.”