Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio
Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has revealed how Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, once made a suggestive comment about her waist movements.
She made the allegation in an interview with BBC, adding that Akpabio would “squeeze my hands in a very suggestive way”.
“We women, we know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way,” she added. Natasha Akpoti told the BBC reporter: “There was a time I forgot to wear my ring because I rushed to work. And there were about five senators there.
“And Akpabio said ‘oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring… is this an invitation to treat? There was another time he made a statement like ‘Natasha, your husband is really enjoying. It looks like you’d be able to make good movements with your waist’.
“He makes such sexist statements.” Asked how other senators react, Natasha Akpoti said: “And then they (other senators) all laughed. “People don’t understand what it means to carry this. Maybe we don’t talk about it enough in Nigeria or Africa.
“I just want a place where I would just work. I thought the worst was over, but I guess for a woman, it’s never really over, right?”
Recall that the Senate suspended Natasha Akpoti on March 6 for “gross misconduct and unruly behaviour” after an altercation with the Senate President over seating arrangements.
The suspension came barely 24 hours day after she submitted a sexual harassment petition against Akpabio. However, the Senate had insisted that Natasha Akpoti’s suspension had nothing to do with the petition.
Natasha’s suspension had generated outrage from those who felt that the decision was hasty as she was not given the opportunity to defend herself.
