A former President, Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has said the sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has significant contradictions.
Agbakoba, who spoke at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, added that the allegation, “as it currently stands, falls short of the threshold for proving sexual harassment anywhere in the world.”
He said, while individuals should feel safe to speak up in an ideal society, the principles of justice, which required evidence and fairness must be upheld.
Agbakoba who is also Akpabio’s lawyer, wrote a letter to the Kogi Senator, on the instruction of the Senate President, asking her to clarify the contradictions in her allegations, which were published widely in local and international newspapers.
The senior Lawyer noted that the embattled Senator had claimed that she was sexually harassed by Akpabio on December 8, 2023, but she went on social media to eulogise the same Senate President a day after that.
He specifically pointed out that the warm, celebratory tone and personal affection expressed in the public message the suspended Senator posted a day after the alleged harassment presented a significant timeline contradiction that could not be overlooked.
According to him, “the juxtaposition of these two events, an alleged traumatic harassment, followed by voluntary public expressions of admiration requires careful consideration.”
The former NBA President also mentioned previous allegations against Reno Omokri and an unnamed minister, noting that, though each allegation must be evaluated independently, the suspended Senator’s pattern required careful consideration.
