For Mrs Ekaette Akpabio, nothing should dent the image of her husband who is the Senate President. She discloses their family relationship with Natasha and vowed that her loving husband, Senator Akpabio cannot hurt a fly
Mrs Ekaette Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has defended her husband against claims of sexual harassment made by Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had alleged during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday that Akpabio made sexual advances at her in the presence of her husband. She further claimed that he blocked her motions from being heard in the Senate because she rejected his advances.
However, speaking to journalists at her Abuja residence on Friday, Mrs. Akpabio dismissed the allegations as a figment of imagination, accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan of maligning her husband and “creating content for personal gains.”
She described her husband as a disciplined and jovial person who is often misinterpreted.
She also noted that she was present at their family residence on December 8, 2023, the date of the alleged incident, and emphasized that their families had a long-standing relationship even before Akpoti-Uduaghan’s marriage.
Mrs. Akpabio praised her husband’s track record of promoting women’s inclusion in government, stating that he had supported female participation in politics long before becoming Senate President. She urged women to desist from making false accusations and vowed to seek legal redress over the matter.
Ekaette expressed disbelief over Natasha’s claim, explaining that her husband had always been a friend to the family even before she (Natasha) was married to him.
“I’d rather call it an unfortunate accusation, it’s very demeaning because that is a family, we knew the husband before the husband married her, we knew the man. They are very good friends. So I really don’t understand where this is coming from, and I believe that for somebody to go and make such allegations, there must be a discussion at home, there must have been a sanction or an approval,” Ekaette said.
She further questioned the credibility of Natasha’s claims, suggesting that if her husband had indeed been accused of such misconduct, there would have been noticeable tension between him and Natasha’s husband.
“If you’re going to say this, go ahead and say it. And if the approval has come from the husband, our friend, I believe that he would have spoken to me because we are close, and then if the wife has complained about such a thing, and he still comes and he’s normal. There’s no man you will tell, ‘your friend harassed me,’ I know how men behave, that will not frown. First of all, the attitude towards the person will change, but his attitude never changed.”
Ekaette also refuted Natasha’s assertions regarding a house in Ikot Ekpene, clarifying that the Akpabios do not own property in that location.
“And if you’re talking about the house, we don’t have any house in Ikot Ekpene. Ikot Ekpene is a local government, we are from Essien Udim local government. Our country home is in Essien Udim in Ukana, and I didn’t hear anything about Ukana, we have a beautiful home in Ukana. If you’re talking about Uyo, the house in Uyo, I’m always there, I own a school, I’m always in my school, and when I finish from the school, so the home you’re talking about, I’m always there.”
Defending her husband’s character, she emphasised his reputation as a responsible leader who has supported and empowered women in governance.
“The Senate President is a very, very responsible man and disciplined. As a governor, the number of women we had then in government, I’ve never seen that has had that number of women. But in Akwa Ibom, when he was a governor, a lot of women were involved in governance and none of them, not one, ever said something like this.”
Ekaette Akpabio suggested that her husband’s leniency toward criticisms has allowed people to spread unfounded accusations.
“He allows people to get away with a lot of things, and he’d always tell me, ‘If you can’t stand it, leave the kitchen, I’m here to serve my people, they will throw mud at me.’ I said, but this mud is becoming too much, why can’t you do something. So I’m now the one going for a legal address.”
Also, the Senate President, through his media consultant Kenny Okulogbo, denied the allegations, reiterating that Akpoti-Uduaghan was merely aggrieved over her removal as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content.
“The Senate President will respond. We will make an official statement soon,” Okulogbo said.