Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio firmly declared he had no intention of stepping down from his position, responding to a vote of confidence passed by Senate Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele during a plenary session, as reported by Premium Times and The Sun. Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central, praised senators for standing by Akpabio despite sexual harassment allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, emphasizing the Senate’s demand for evidence in such cases. He stated, “Those who felt that by now, this Senate would have asked you to step down would have seen now that we are focused on what we are doing, and whatever the level of allegation against anyone of us, we will always ask for evidence,” per Daily Post. Akpabio retorted, “Who told you I was going to step down due to false allegations? … If you watch the record in America, there are black people because of their skin, who went to prison… some 25 years for false allegations. So, I’m not one of those people,” rejecting calls for resignation and drawing parallels to historical injustices.
The allegations, first aired by Akpoti-Uduaghan on Arise TV in February 2025, claimed Akpabio made inappropriate advances during a 2023 visit to his Akwa Ibom residence and linked her Senate marginalization to rejecting him, per BBC News. The Senate ethics committee dismissed her petition on March 5, 2025, citing procedural errors, and suspended her for six months for “unruly behavior” over a seating dispute, a move critics like Hadiza Ado called a “sad day for Nigerian women,” per BBC News. Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of four female senators in the 109-seat chamber, posted a sarcastic apology on Facebook on May 4, 2025, expressing regret for “maintaining dignity and self-respect,” prompting Akpabio to file a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel its deletion, alongside seeking N350 billion in defamation damages from her and her husband, per Vanguard and The Guardian.
Akpabio’s defiance follows his withdrawal from a presidential panel probing the allegations on May 5, 2025, citing concerns over impartiality, per Naija News. The panel, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, was established by President Tinubu on April 2 but stalled amid public outcry, with groups like The Action Collective demanding Akpabio’s resignation to ensure accountability, per Leadership. X posts reflect polarized sentiment: @Shehusky called for Akpabio’s impeachment on March 1, while @SaharaReporters on March 7 urged him to step aside for justice, per and. Supporters, however, rallied behind Akpabio, with protests in Abuja and a Senate vote of confidence on March 13, per Premium Times.
The controversy, compounded by a prior 2020 accusation from Joy Nunieh, highlights Nigeria’s low female parliamentary representation (3.7%, per Al Jazeera) and systemic barriers, with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension seen as silencing dissent, per Foreign Policy. Her appeal to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and N1.3 billion defamation suit against Akpabio signal an ongoing legal battle, per Premium Times. As Nigeria grapples with a 47/100 Freedom House press freedom score, the case underscores tensions over gender, power, and institutional credibility, with Akpabio’s court action against Akpoti-Uduaghan’s post escalating a saga that continues to grip public discourse.
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