Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has formally responded to senior lawyer Olisa Agbakoba’s demand for evidence regarding her sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, maintaining that only courts can properly adjudicate the matter. The senator’s April 30 reply comes weeks after Agbakoba’s April 14 letter seeking retraction of claims about an alleged December 2023 incident.
Akpoti-Uduaghan clarified she never received Agbakoba’s correspondence through official channels, dismissing suggestions of deliberate silence. She cited two ongoing court cases – Akpabio’s ₦250 billion defamation suit filed by his wife and her own challenge against Senate suspension – as legally prohibiting public commentary under the sub judice principle. The senator accused Akpaboi of violating judicial ethics by presiding over her suspension proceedings while being the subject of her complaint.
The lawmaker rejected arguments that her previous cordial relations with Akpabio undermined her harassment claims, stating workplace civility shouldn’t be conflated with consent. She emphasized that Agbakoba, despite his legal stature, possesses no constitutional authority to demand evidentiary disclosure outside formal judicial processes.
The exchange marks the latest development in a controversy that has gripped Nigeria’s political sphere since February when Akpoti-Uduaghan first publicized her allegations. Legal observers note the senator’s invocation of Latin maxims like “nemo judex in causa sua” (no one should judge their own case) reflects the matter’s complex intersection of legal technicalities, gender dynamics and legislative privilege. Both cases remain pending before Abuja courts as the standoff continues.
