Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, says she is paying for rejecting Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s sexual advances.
She added that she had to summon the courage to speak up and damn the consequences.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was speaking in an interview with Sky News.
She was suspended from the senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct” following her seating arrangement altercation with Akpabio.
The lawmaker said she believes her suspension was illegal, unjust and a way of silencing her.
She also baulked at the senate’s position that she was not suspended over the sexual harassment claim.
“They did mention that I was suspended on account of gross misconduct but can they provide exactly what the gross misconduct was that amounted to six months suspension? The day after I submitted a petition?” she asked.
“I was suspended because of that petition, not because of any gross misconduct.
“I was only told to move my seat and I refused because I deserve to be notified, I deserve to be given a chance to explain why I should retain my seat.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that her male colleagues fight, cuss and throw chairs at each other in the chamber all the time, but are never suspended for misconduct.
“Why? Because they are men? You know, there’s this culture of silence, harassment and fear, intimidation that is intertwined with our culture where a woman is supposed to sit pretty, to be seen only and not heard,” she said.
The senator said she was deprived of her rights as a lawmaker for not yielding to Akpabio’s advances.
“I found the courage to speak up. Yes, the breaking point was moving me from that seat. Silently, I have had to endure a whole lot,” she said.
“Things got difficult for me. I was always complaining.
“I’ll have a motion to pass and he’ll not let me. My husband would walk to him because they are friends and say ‘my wife has a very important bill, her constituency need this, why don’t you give her a chance to speak?’ And he’ll say ‘next time’.
“Each time I walk to him alone, he’ll tell me, ‘you know what, right here, I’m the chief presiding officer of the national assembly, so you have to please me, make me happy to get these privileges’.
“That happened several times and because I refused, it developed into malice.”
Akpabio has denied sexually harassing Akpoti-Uduaghan.
