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March 5, 2025
During Wednesday’s plenary, the committee ruled that the petition was not valid for consideration, citing procedural violations.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions has dismissed the sexual harassment petition filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, declaring it “dead on arrival.”
During Wednesday’s plenary, the committee ruled that the petition was not valid for consideration, citing procedural violations.
“The petition presented today is actually dead on arrival. I am saying that because it runs contrary to Order 40, Subsection 4, which states that no senator should present a petition signed by him or herself. That person, having signed it personally, makes it inadmissible before this committee,” the Ethics Committee stated.
Backing the committee’s decision, the Senate Chief Whip reinforced the argument that the petition was not legally viable.
“Section 40, Subsection 4 also says no senator shall personally sign a petition. It is not about the committee taking a decision; it is about whether the petition is ripe to be referred to the committee.
“Mr. Senate President, you are being emotional because you don’t want to be seen as trying to stop this allegation. You even allowed it to be referred. The Senate holds that the petition is not competent to stand before the Senate. That is the issue,” he added.
The Nigerian Senate earlier on Wednesday received a petition from Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment.
The allegation was raised during the Wednesday plenary, but Akpabio swiftly denied the claims, dismissing them as baseless.
“At no time did I ever harass any woman. I was raised very well by my late single mother, and I have always upheld respect for women. I was even awarded the most gender-friendly governor in Nigeria,” Akpabio stated.
The Senate President also acknowledged the widespread media discussions surrounding the allegations and urged Nigerians to allow the court to decide the matter before jumping to conclusions.
With the Senate Ethics Committee now ruling the petition inadmissible, it remains unclear whether Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan will seek alternative legal or political avenues to pursue her claims.
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