Senator Natasha Akpoti is unrelenting in her resolve to file a petition of alleged sexual harassment against Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate.
She came to the Senate with a fresh petition on behalf of a member of her constituent, Aza Maria Yakubu accusing the president of the Senate of sexual harassment.
Recall that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously attempted to present a similar petition in her own name, citing Order 40, Rule 1.
But the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions swiftly dismissed it, declaring it “dead on arrival.”
The committee argued that the petition violated Order 40, Rule 4 and Rule 7—rules of the senate that prohibit senators from submitting petitions in their own name and restrict matters already before a court from being considered by the Senate.
Despite this, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that the petition was not before any court of law.
Her petition comes against the backdrop of an ongoing legal battle, as the wife of the President of the Senate had previously filed a lawsuit against Senator Natasha for publicly accusing Senator Akpabio of sexual harassment on national television.
Despite this, the Senate allowed her to present the petition, which has now been referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for further review.
