Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Thursday resubmitted a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.
Recall that the initial petition submitted by the Senator was dismissed after Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North) cited Senate Standing Order 40.
Monguno argued that the matter was sub judice due to an ongoing court case between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Ekaette Akpabio, the wife of the Senate President.
He also contended that the petition was invalid since Akpoti-Uduaghan had personally signed it. As a result, the Senate Ethics Committee declared the petition “dead on arrival.”
However,this time, the petition was submitted on behalf of her constituents, led by Zubairu Yakubu. Following the presentation, Akpabio inquired whether there were any legal barriers to accepting the petition, to which Akpoti-Uduaghan responded that there were none.
It was gathered that At 12:38 PM, Akpabio instructed her to formally lay the petition before the Senate, after which it was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South). The committee has been directed to review the petition and report back within four weeks.
