Nigeria’s Senate President to Step Down Amid Sexual Scandal

Abuja, NIGERIA — The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who is currently embroiled in a sexual harassment controversy, may step down next week to enable the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions to clear him.

After his exoneration by the committee, it is expected that they will recommend an “indefinite suspension” for his accuser, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, sources in the Senate disclosed on Saturday.

The sources added that both Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan will appear before the Senate committee next week. This is part of an effort to ensure that the Senate President meets the requirements for due process before the committee moves to take stronger action against the suspended female senator.

Senator Neda Imasuen’s committee will oversee the investigation. The alleged plan is for Akpabio to be declared officially innocent of all allegations, while Senator Natasha is expected to be suspended for the remainder of her tenure.

According to reports, recent statements from Senator Ireti Kingibe supporting the investigation, as well as comments from Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi in a Channels TV interview, are part of a calculated strategy to finalize the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Speaking on the plan, Nwebonyi confirmed the ongoing investigation and explained that both Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan would face an investigative panel. “The plan currently being orchestrated is to suspend Senator Natasha till the end of her tenure. The report of the panel is currently being prepared, and the panel is just to formalize the process,” he said.

Nwebonyi further elaborated: “Akpabio will announce that he is stepping down to face the panel for investigation. After a few hours, the panel will release a report declaring him innocent, and Senator Natasha will be suspended indefinitely until 2027, the end of her tenure. They want to remove her from the Senate.”

This development follows Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) against Akpabio. SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions is preparing to hear testimonies from both Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan regarding the sexual harassment allegations.

On Friday, Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, confirmed in an appearance on Channels Television that all parties involved in the matter, including the Senate President, will testify before the committee. “All the parties involved would appear before the Committee, including the Senate President. He would come and testify, and his testimony would be recorded, as would those of other senators,” Nwebonyi stated.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment during a visit to his residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in December 2023. She claimed that Akpabio held her hand, led her around his home, and made inappropriate advances, even in the presence of her husband.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has equally filed a contempt application against Senate President Akpabio for allegedly violating a valid court order. The court order, issued by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on March 4, 2025, prohibited the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with disciplinary action against Akpoti-Uduaghan. Despite this, the Senate moved forward with a six-month suspension for Akpoti-Uduaghan, citing alleged misconduct.

The suspension included the sealing of her office and an order to return all Senate property to the Clerk of the National Assembly. The decision followed a report by the Senate Ethics Committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen, which had initiated the proceedings after a February 20 incident between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio.

In response to the Senate’s disregard for the court order, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her legal team, filed a Notice of Disobedience of Court Order at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The document, obtained by SaharaReporters, warned that the Senate’s actions could lead to contempt charges, with potential imprisonment unless they comply with the court order.