The lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate, Ireti Kingibe, has criticized her colleague from Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over her reaction to a seating reassignment in the Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had sparked controversy when Senate President Godswill Akpabio reallocated her seat, leading to a tense exchange during plenary. She refused to move to the newly assigned seat and was later denied recognition when she attempted to speak. Frustrated, she accused Akpabio of denying her privileges.
Following the incident, the Senate voted unanimously to refer her case to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for review.
However, in an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Akpoti-Uduaghan escalated the issue, accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment. She alleged that the Senate President had made inappropriate advances towards her on two occasions and suggested that the seating reassignment was part of a broader plan to frustrate her legislative duties.
Reacting to the claims, Kingibe, who also appeared on Arise TV, criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that she does not follow Senate rules. She noted that the other three female senators had remained silent on the matter to avoid publicly speaking negatively about their colleague.
“Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules. As women, we did not want to come out publicly to say anything negative about her, and we were hoping all of this would blow over, as a lot of things do,” Kingibe said.
She dismissed the seating dispute as trivial, emphasizing that other lawmakers, including men, were also affected by the reassignment.
“This is about the rules of the Senate. I wasn’t there, but I gathered that several men were also moved,” she added.
As the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Kingibe acknowledged that while the Senate is not particularly gender-friendly, improvements have been made. She urged women to adhere to the rules of institutions they choose to be part of.
“The truth is, the Senate is not gender-friendly, but it has been improving. When we raise concerns, the Senate President addresses them. The institution has its rules, and we must follow them,” she said.