Human rights advocate Just Adetoun has shared her thoughts on the controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was suspended from the Senate for six months on March 6, 2025, after she alleged that Akpabio targeted her following her rejection of his sexual advances.
The Senate’s Ethics Committee claimed she violated legislative protocols, leading to her suspension, loss of allowances and withdrawal of security.
The situation has divided public opinion, with some female senators accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan of breaching Senate rules.
However, Adetoun criticized these women for failing to stand by their colleague, arguing that the matter transcends individual interests.
“This is not about Natasha, this is about Natasha’s gender, and she is a woman like me. Something I preach every time is the spirit of togetherness. When something affects one woman, one child, one female, it affects every one of us.
“If they are calling a woman a prostitute, they are not calling just one person. And as a woman, when you hear them call a woman a prostitute, shame is seen on our faces,” she said.
Adetoun further questioned the fairness of the suspension, arguing that Akpabio, as the accused, should have stepped aside to allow an impartial investigation.
“I don’t think you can be a judge in your own case. The Senate has proven to us to be like a cult. It would have been better if Natasha was properly investigated and found lying and punished.
“Then that would be a shame on womanhood—that you want to use your gender to intimidate or subdue or oppress a fellow man.”
She also expressed disappointment in female politicians who distanced themselves from Akpoti-Uduaghan instead of rallying around her.
“I’ve seen a lot of our adult women coming on the media space. If you all claim that you passed through that institution and you’ve passed that stage of sexual harassment, what I would have expected from our female adult sisters is to summon Natasha, explain to her that that is an institution of authority where she is not only representing Kogi Central but all women where they are just four, and she is one of them.
“But Natasha is standing alone now, fighting the feminine battle. No, she is not standing alone in this. We are waving our support for a female who has claimed that she was sexually harassed, and we will appreciate it if they push further to investigate her rather than try to intimidate her.
“The timing of what Natasha said may not be right, the way she said what she said may not be right, the platform Natasha said what she said may not be right, but Natasha is a female, and no woman will come out and say she has been sexually harassed and we will keep quiet.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension has sparked calls for her reinstatement, with critics arguing that the Senate’s decision was politically motivated.
