Olusegun Ariyo
Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has accused Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of dodging opportunities that would prove his innocence in the sexual harassment allegations leveled against him by suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Ezekwesili said Akpabio and the Senate have continued to deny Natasha the right to a fair hearing and an impartial investigation.
The suspended Kogi Central Senator had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
She claimed that the Senate President denied her certain privileges for turning down his sexual advances even in the presence of her husband.
However, the former minister wondered why Akpabio was obstructing every opportunity for an impartial Senate inquiry into the sexual harassment allegations against him.
Posting on X, she wrote: “This morning, I again remembered the all-time quote of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan:
“This Injustice shall not be sustained.
“I agree. Societies that have kept sustaining injustice are the ones that are stuck in the lowest economic growth, pernicious poverty and widespread inequality. So, we should all not agree for the injustice being inflicted on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to be sustained.
“Can the @NGRSenate and @Senator_Akpabio tell Nigerians why they have persisted in denying their courageous colleague, Senator @NatashaAkpoti, the right to fair hearing and impartial investigation of her Sexual Harassment petition against the Senate President?
“Why is Senator Akpabio obstructing every opportunity for an impartial Senate inquiry into this matter? Why is he dodging the opportunity that can help him prove his innocence of the serious allegation leveled by his female colleague?
“Why are Senator Akpabio’s colleagues in the Senate supporting such obstruction in gross violation of the same ‘Senate Rules’ they used to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan illegally?
“The Senate cannot pretend to be ‘moving on’ regarding this case. Not at all. This Injustice cannot be sustained at all.
“There’s no ‘moving on’ possible without accountability, transparency and due process on this case of massive abuse of power by our country’s #3 top ranking public figure.
“Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan is never walking alone on this case. Never.”
