Senator Karimi Sunday, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services, has alleged that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central inappropriately displaced another lawmaker to position herself beside Senate President Godswill Akpabio during an Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting in Ivory Coast.
Senator Karimi speaking in an interview with TVC revealed, “They went to IPU meeting in Ivory Coast, she wanted to sit beside the Senate President. Another Senator sat there, she forced Senator Ekpeyong to stand up while the meeting was going on.”
The chairman questioned the timeline of Natasha’s harassment allegations against Senate leadership, pointing out inconsistencies in her account. “The claim of harassment according to her happened on December 8th, 2023, just a few weeks after she came into the Senate. She came in November 2023, and the harassment according to her happened on December 8th, 2023,” Senator Sunday stated. “Look at the timeline – she didn’t say anything last year until early this year, and they’ve had a good relationship and good rapport.”
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He also suggested that the allegations stemmed from recent committee reassignments: “The harassment allegation is because she was removed as chairman of local content.”
He characterized Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as “controversial,” claiming she has clashed with at least five senators since joining the chamber. The chairman also criticized her for confronting Senator Ireti Kingibe after the latter shared her perspective on the harassment allegations.
According to him, tensions between Natasha and Senate leadership date back to July 2023, when she dragged the Senate President all over the place following Akpabio’s comment that “we are not in a clubhouse.” He claimed she had threatened to pull the Senate President down until he apologized and which he did.
