Former Cross River South Senator, Florence Ita-Giwa, has dismissed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claim of sexual harassment, stating that female lawmakers cannot be harassed once they attain senatorial status.
Speaking on Arise TV on Tuesday, Ita-Giwa described such allegations as a sign of weakness, arguing that women in politics should see themselves as equals to their male counterparts.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of frustrating her motions on Ajaokuta Steel Company because she rejected his alleged sexual advances.
However, Ita-Giwa countered, saying, “By the time you contest elections and get to the Senate, you have passed that stage of your life of being sexually harassed. You go there to serve, and you are all equal in that place. And again, it shows weakness; you don’t allow it. Sexual harassment cannot happen in the Senate.”
She insisted that making such allegations at that level reflects weakness. “At that stage in politics, if you come out and say someone is sexually harassing you, it is a weakness,” she maintained.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s rift with Akpabio surfaced last week after she discovered her Senate seat had been changed, leading to a disruption during plenary. She claimed the issue began in December 2023 when she and her husband visited Akpabio’s home for his birthday. According to her, the Senate President made inappropriate advances while showing her around, prompting her husband to warn her against being alone with him.
While Akpabio has yet to respond to the allegations, his wife, Ekaette, has denounced Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims and filed a defamation lawsuit against her.