Natasha told to bring out her evidence against Akpabio, Nigeria has more important issues to deal with

Natasha told to bring out her evidence against Akpabio, Nigeria has more important issues to deal with

Prominent human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has called on suspended Kogi Central lawmaker, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to provide solid, verifiable evidence to back up her allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Adeyanju’s remarks come after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of making inappropriate advances during a visit to his residence in December 2023.

However, Adeyanju emphasised that, without concrete proof, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusations would remain just that—unsubstantiated claims.

The allegations led to a review of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s conduct by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which recommended a six-month suspension.

The Senate approved the suspension, which includes a series of penalties: her Senate office will be locked, her salaries and allowances withheld, her security details removed, she will be prohibited from official representation, and she will be restricted from entering the National Assembly premises during the suspension period.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Adeyanju expressed his belief that the controversy surrounding the allegations had been excessively magnified.

He urged that the matter be taken to court for a proper legal resolution, rather than being used as a distraction from more pressing national issues.

Adeyanju pointed out that much-needed discussions, such as the potential negative impact of the Tax Reform Bill on low- and middle-income earners, were being overshadowed by the ongoing scandal.

He said, “The matter has been overflogged. I believe that parties should go to court and resolve their matters. And we should focus on Nigeria’s tax reform bill and see how we can galvanize and stop the tax reform bill from being passed is more important than this international issue.

“The question I have asked is: when all these anti-people policies of the Tinubu government were taking place, why didn’t these senators who are now fighting over the allegation of sexual harassment, the allegation of ‘oh, she’s embarrassing the Senate’, the culture of silence, and everything oppose the anti-people policies?

“All the time that they’ve shared cars in the National Assembly, we did not hear any fight. The time they’ve shared money and budgetary allocations, we did not hear any fight. Now, we are hearing a fight.

“I also sincerely feel that Senator Natasha has made these allegations that the Senate President tried to sexually harass her. I also think that Senator Natasha should, as a matter of necessity, since they have refused to give her a fair hearing in the Senate, make public credible evidence to back up the claim.

“It’s very easy. The man has said it is a lie.

“ ‘I did not do anything to her’. So if there are messages — maybe ‘oh, please come over, so so so’— please reveal them, expose the man. After all, he who alleges must prove. Why are you protecting the man?”