In the hallowed chambers of Nigeria’s Senate, where democracy should flourish and the voice of the people should reign supreme, a grotesque abuse of power is unfolding as a dark specter looms. It is the shadow of impunity, the stench of unchecked power, the vile echoes of a sexual predator cloaked in legislative robes. Godswill Akpabio, the man who sits atop this nation’s upper legislative body, stands accused not just of corruption, not just of cronyism, but of the most egregious betrayal of public trust – using his position as Senate president to prey on women. The explosive revelations by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan concerning the relentless sexual advances and intimidation she has endured at the hands of Akpabio are not just a scandal – they are a moral crisis that demands immediate redress. They tell the tale of a man who believes that power grants him access to any woman, that authority is a license for abuse, that rejection is met with retribution. And yet, we are expected to look away, and pretend that this grotesque abuse is just another day in Nigerian politics. But we will not look away. We will not be silent. We will not allow the Senate – an institution meant to serve the people – to be turned into a sanctuary for repeat sex offenders and predators. Akpabio must go, and he must go now.
Days after a drama ensued between Natasha and Akpabio over seating arrangements in the august chamber, Senator Natasha representing Kogi Central, revealed that Akpabio has weaponized his office to punish her for rejecting his sexual advances. Appearing on the Morning Show aired by the Arise News Channel in Abuja, Natasha said her attempts to move a motion to investigate corruption at the Ajaokuta Steel Company were repeatedly blocked by Akpabio himself, who made it clear her legislative success was contingent on her willingness to satisfy his sexual cravings and uncontrollable libido. “In February, I wanted to move a motion for the investigation on the ills of the corrupt practice in an Ajaokuta steel company. I listed that motion five times. It was the sixth time that it was listed on the order paper that was approved. Many senators can testify to that,” “Before the motion made the order paper, I went to the Senate President in his office, and I said, Senate President,’ you know how important this Ajaokuta Steel Company is to me, you know how important it is to my people and to Nigerians…I’ve noticed that you have stepped down this motion.”
“He [Akpabio] then said, ‘Natasha, I’m the Chief presiding officer of the Senate, you can enjoy a whole lot if you take care of me. Make me happy’. At that point, I said, ‘Sir, I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear this’. He said, ‘well, the ball is in your court’. I left his office,” Natasha said, adding: “My case is a case of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him.” The Kogi Central Senator also alleged that most of the intimate love calls from Akpabio came in the dead of the night and that she usually woke her husband and put the conversations on speaker. The impropriety of calling a married woman late at night to solicit sexual favors is simply mind-boggling and inexcusable. This is not leadership – it is crude sexual harassment and cheap blackmail. It is the callous, transactional politics of a man who sees public office as a personal playground, where laws and ethics bend to his whims. It is the antics of a lecherous man who sees every woman as just another skirt and an acquisition challenge.
These jaw-dropping revelations are not mere whispers in the wind; they are the deafening cries of a system that has long shielded the powerful while crushing the voices of the oppressed. For far too long, Akpabio has operated with impunity, a man draped in the robes of power yet devoid of the moral compass to wield it justly. The allegations against him are not mere political jabs; they are an indictment of a culture of unchecked power, where women who dare to say no are met with hostility, victimization, and systemic retribution. Natasha’s testimony is damning: repeated late-night phone calls, coercion masked as camaraderie, and an insidious campaign to break her resolve simply because she would not yield to the predatory sexual demands of a he-goat!
But this is not the first time Akpabio’s name has been associated with such vile behavior. His tenure as a public officer has been marred by whispers – no, shouts – of sexual harassment, misconduct, and corruption. In 2020, Joy Nunieh the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), publicly accused Akpabio, then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, of sexual harassment and intimidation. She claimed that during a meeting at his guest house in Abuja, Akpabio made advances toward her, which she resisted and went out of her way to slap him. Nunieh also alleged that Akpabio pressured her to take an “oath of secrecy” to cover up corruption at the NDDC. Her courage in speaking out should have sparked outrage, yet Akpabio faced no consequences. Instead, he continued his ascent to power, emboldened by a system that shields the powerful and silences their victims. This pattern of behavior, where power is used as a weapon against the vulnerable, must no longer be tolerated. If the Nigerian Senate is to retain even a shred of credibility, Akpabio must step down and allow the senate to institute an open, transparent, and honest investigation by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions. Both parties must submit to the investigation, fully cooperate with the committee.
To remain silent in the face of these allegations is to endorse the very impunity that has kept Nigeria shackled in cycles of injustice. The Senate cannot be a refuge for men who prey on their female colleagues under the guise of mentorship and authority. It is a disgrace that the three other female senators, bound perhaps by fear or political expediency, have chosen silence over solidarity. Their inaction does not erase the truth, nor does it absolve them of complicity in perpetuating a toxic culture where, speaking out comes at a high price. It is even more egregious that instead of calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the allegations, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs. Ireti Kingibe, has come out to berate Natasha for speaking out against what is unarguably, sexual harassment within a toxic work environment. This is just pathetic!
As if to insult the intelligence of Nigerians, Akpabio’s wife, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, has rushed to his defense, dismissing the allegations as lies and fabrications, and suing Natasha for defamation. The suit demands N250 billion in exemplary, punitive, aggravated, and general damages. Ekaette contends that Natasha’s comments have severely damaged the reputation of herself and her family, bringing them into disrepute and harming their public standing, and wants the court to restrain her from making any more “spiteful statements” and to publicly apologize in two national newspapers. She claims to have been present on the night of December 8, 2023, when one of the alleged incidents occurred, as though her mere presence is a shield against her husband’s long-documented pattern of abuse. She touts his so-called advocacy for women’s inclusion in government, as if political tokenism absolves a sex predator of his crimes. Her statements are nothing more than a desperate attempt to whitewash the indefensible, a feeble smokescreen to distract from the mounting evidence against her husband. In response, Natasha advised Mrs. Akpabio not to get involved, saying Akpabio has the capacity to defend himself
Let us be clear: this is not just about one woman’s battle against a man in power. It is about every woman who has been told that resistance comes with consequences. It is about every woman who has had to weigh her dignity against her career. It is about every Nigerian who believes that leadership must be built on integrity, not predation. The Nigerian people must demand Akpabio’s resignation. The Senate must cleanse itself of men who abuse their office for personal gratification. If we fail to act now, we send a resounding message that power, when placed in the wrong hands, is above morality and consequence. This is a defining moment for Nigeria. Let us stand on the right side of history. Akpabio must go, and he must go now.