Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has said her six-month suspension from the Senate is linked to her allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

In a recent interview with Sky News, she claimed that Akpabio asked her to “please him” in exchange for privileges as a senator. She described her suspension as a deliberate attempt to silence her.

“I made an allegation of s3xual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on the fifth day of March 2025 and the very next day, I was suspended for six months. I believe my suspension is illegal, it’s unjust, and it’s just a way of silencing me.

Yes, they did mention that I was suspended on grounds of gross misconduct, but can they please provide what the gross misconduct is that amounts to a six-month suspension the day after I submitted a petition? I was suspended because of that petition, not because of any gross misconduct.”he said

According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, she has faced harassment from Akpabio for over a year. She believes that rejecting his demands led to intimidation, including efforts to block her from raising motions and passing important bills for her constituency.

“Let’s talk about the gross misconduct that had happened in the Nigerian chambers. I was only told to move, and I refused to move my seat because I deserved to be notified; I deserved to be given a chance to explain why I should retain my seat. You see, I have seen in that chamber where men fight, where Senators throw items at each other, curse each other, shout at each other, but they were not suspended. Why? Because they were men.”he said

She also revealed that her husband tried to intervene, but his efforts were ignored. Despite the challenges, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she found the courage to speak up, even though it came at a cost.

“I experienced sexu@l harassment over the past year in the hands of the Senate President, and this sexual harassment, because I refused to yield to his demands, turned into malice whereby my rights and privileges as a senator were deprived. I found the courage to speak up; yes, the breaking point was moving me from that seat; I have had to endure a whole lot in silence.

Things got difficult for me; I was always complaining. My husband would actually walk up to him because they are friends, saying, ‘My wife has a very important bill, her constituency needs this, why don’t you give her a chance to speak?’ And he’d tell me, ‘Next time, next time.’ So he deliberately kept on denying me this. Each time I walked to him he’d tell me, ‘Right here I am the chief presiding officer of the National Assembly, so you have to please me, make me happy to get these privileges.’ And that happened several times. Because I refused, it developed into malice.

Which other way was I supposed to make my voice heard?” she asked

Her claims have sparked discussions about gender and power in Nigerian politics. Many are waiting to see how the situation unfolds.