Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, has responded to recent public comments and legal correspondence from Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), challenging his authority and motives in the ongoing controversy surrounding her sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a formal reply dated April 30, the lawmaker denied ever receiving previous letters from Agbakoba demanding that she retract her claims. She also questioned the propriety of his public commentary, arguing that the matter was sub judice and should not be litigated in the media.
Akpoti-Uduaghan referenced two active lawsuits, one filed by Akpabio’s wife seeking N250 billion in damages, and another she instituted challenging her suspension from the Senate. She maintained that these cases, particularly the one linked to her harassment allegations, are now before competent courts, making public debate inappropriate under the principle of lis pendens.
She criticised what she described as a double standard by Agbakoba, pointing out that while Akpabio’s legal team previously invoked the sub judice rule to halt a Senate probe, they are now using the press to demand evidence and explanations.
Addressing the issue of her six-month suspension, the senator accused Akpabio of breaching principles of natural justice by presiding over a matter in which he was personally involved. She argued that this denied her a fair hearing and violated the foundational legal principle that no one should be a judge in their own case.
On suggestions that her social interactions with Akpabio after the alleged incident contradicted her claims, Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that professional civility should not be mistaken for consent or comfort, and warned against trivialising serious workplace harassment based on misunderstood social cues.
“To do so trivialises a serious concern of sexual harassment, especially in a workplace using a dominant position,” she said.
“The nature of your demand for evidence in this manner, at the instance of your client, simply indicates a broader misconception of what truly amounts to sexual harassment as prescribed in several global protocols.”
She also rejected the premise of Agbakoba’s demand for external substantiation of her claims, asserting that only the courts have the authority to determine the veracity of such allegations. According to her, Agbakoba, regardless of his stature, lacks constitutional or statutory power to adjudicate the matter.
“A private legal practitioner, however distinguished, is not vested with adjudicatory authority under the Constitution or any statute of the Federal Republic,” she said.
Reaffirming the validity of her complaint filed on February 28, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan said her response was intended to correct public records and prevent misinterpretations arising from her previous silence. She directed that all further communications be channelled through her legal representatives.
