Senator Natasha Issues ‘Apology Letter’ To Akpabio

The suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udaughan, on Sunday, tendered an unreserved apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the controversial sexual harassment allegation she levelled against him. However, her perceived apology was veiled in a satirical letter she wrote to the former Akwa Ibom governor, who is currently in Rome for the late Pope Francis’ funeral and made available to newsmen in Abuja. PUNCH Online reported that Natasha was suspended on March 6 following a heated disagreement with the Senate leadership over a new seating arrangement, which she alleged was designed to undermine her. Tensions rose further when Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio on national television of punishing her for rejecting his purported sexual advances. During the Women in Parliament session at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting at the United Nations in New York, Akpoti-Uduaghan called for international intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable. She also criticised the severe measures imposed on her, including the withdrawal of security, salary cuts, and a six-month suspension from the National Assembly. Following a series of legal fireworks between both parties, the court barred the duo from talking to the press and commenting on the issue until the legal outcome of the case.