Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, has stated that she has no knowledge of the alleged sexual harassment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Kingibe dismissed claims that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been isolated by female senators, revealing that she had, in fact, received more privileges than her female colleagues.
“The three of us [female senators] have not been sexually harassed. That’s not to say if Senator Natasha can prove that she has been, we won’t support her. But she has never discussed it with us, and we don’t know about it,” Kingibe stated.
She added that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been given preferential treatment regarding seating arrangements, noting that other female senators, including herself, had been moved multiple times.
Kingibe further explained that she was hospitalized on the day of the alleged incident and only learned of the controversy afterward. She attempted to contact Akpoti-Uduaghan for clarification but received no response.
“I promptly called her and asked what was going on. She started explaining about seating arrangements but didn’t finish before saying she’d call me back. Till today, she has not called me back,” Kingibe revealed.
Her efforts to reach Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband also proved unfruitful, as he informed her that his wife was in Singapore at the time.
While acknowledging that the Senate still has gender-related challenges, Kingibe noted that progress has been made in improving the treatment of female lawmakers.
“Yes, the Senate is not gender-friendly, but it has improved. When we raise concerns, the Senate President takes steps to address them,” she said.
She, however, cautioned that internal disputes, particularly those concerning seating arrangements, could harm public perception of the Senate, urging lawmakers to handle disagreements more constructively.
