Journalists Hangout on TVC: Senate President's Aide Defends Akpabio, Denies Allegations of Sexual Harassment

In a televised interview on TVC's Journalists' Hangout, the Special Adviser to the Senate President, Senator Godswill, Hon. Eseme Eyibo, addressed the recent controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan's allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Eyibo emphasized the importance of adhering to the Senate's standing orders, citing the need for seat rearrangements following Senator Ned Nwoko's defection from the PDP to the APC. He questioned why Senator Natasha's seat rearrangement was causing problems, as it's not peculiar to her.

He said that senators are expected to abide by the rules of the Senate and when once there is a defection there is going to be seat re arrangement. 

And in this case there was a defection of Senator Ned Nwoko from the PDP to the APC and another Senator from Imo or Abia that also moved, so there was need for re adjustment of seats in compliance with section 11 sub 3. He said the movement of seats is not perculiar to Senator Natasha and wondered why it's causing problems. He stressed that "Aside from seats and positions in the Senate Chamber, a Senator is noted for, on how positive and proactive his or her submissions are to the proceedings of the Senate, and not somebody giving excuse that where she was asked to sit, that the camera will not focus on her."

He said that the camera focuses on the basis of one's contribution and if a Senator in the Red Chamber wants the camera to focus on him or her, such a Senator should be able to focus on contributions to the Senate's proceedings.

He further stated that whoever wants to be prominent in the Senate should be able to focus on delivery, thus bringing one's consituency in nexus to what happens at the Senate, which has a national development of plan in focus.

When asked what is the procedure regarding privileges enjoyed by the members of the legislature to speak he said, " the first thing is that, you must speak from your seat, you can't go to the court and speak outside the bar to the judge, you will not be heard, it doesn't happen anywhere."

He maintained that the presiding officer is the Senate President and whenever the Senate is in session, members of the  Senate are expected to be seated, that is why they are called Distinguished Senators. " It's because of decorum, ethical integrity, and elegance that senators are expected to live with, that is why they are called Distinguished Senators."

Continuing he said that privileges can be raised from any point in time, but it must be made from the senator's seat. Regarding gender equality in the Senate, Eyibo claimed that this is the most female-friendly Senate in Nigeria's history, highlighting that the four female senators are holding key positions.

He said "this is the most friendly Senate in the annals of the history of the Nigeria. There are four female senators in the Senate, the Lady from Lagos State is heading a huge committee as chairman of humanitarian, Distinguished Senator Ireti Kingibe is the chairman of the committee or women affairs, Distinguished Senator Banigo from Rivers State is the chairman of health services, and Distinguished Senator Natasha is the chairman of disapora where she is exposed to traveling all over the world, where Nigerians are staying in the Diaspora."

He now asked the crew of TVC Journalists Hangout, what level of friendly state is one still expecting from the leadership of the Senate,other than what has been lavishly visited on the gender?

On the allegation that she was not allowed to travel, the Special Adviser to the Senate President, has this to say, "most of the discussants are not conversant with how the legislature operate. I am not talking to you just as the spokesperson of the Senate President but as an established parliamentarian, who has Distinguished himself in the learning and practices and procedures. To that extent I am telling you the truth. And as much as the Senate leadership was in the position to assign leadership positions on women, where did it happen in the 8th and 9th assembly."

He stressed that the humanitarian issues in Nigeria is an engaging one, and when it comes to intervention on the general poverty level, the issue of skills and all of that, and in the budget, humanitarian is in the first bracket, and a woman is chairing that committee in the Senate.

"Can you imagine health, and all that goes with it, a woman is in charge of health, what do you say about women affairs committee? So these women are all Distinguished and are discharging their responsibility effectively,so the issue of marginalization does not arise, the issue of marginalization is lipstickish, and I can tell you that for free."

On the statement by the former Senate President that the Senate of the President should step aside, the Senate President spokesperson has this to say. " It's only a visitor, a first timer or a stranger who visits his or her guest is taken round the house or compound, but somebody who is a familiar person in that household may have been taken round the first time he or she came, but it's very strange and sad that we are hearing that Senator Natasha and the husband, and that their family is very close to the family of Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, they have been visiting each other, it's not hidden, so is it just in 2023, during Senator Akpabio's birthday, that they were conducted round? 

So, all along, the family was bonding and visiting each other, they didn't know the house? 

He said that, this is one fact, that needs to be interogated. Secondly, "Distinguished Senator Natasha is a very beautiful lady in creation, but I can also tell you that the substance in her allegations are not elegant, and any body who pays attention to it is embarking on a trip of fantasy."

"For instance she went to court and in her submissions there was no way in her statement of claim that the issue of sexual harrasment is mentioned, from what is in public domain now, and there has never been anytime she has brought this to the attention of the Senate on the points of privilege that she has been sexually harrased."

He maintained that, "what Senator Bukola Saraki said has no place for contemplation at his level, because one, there is no petition, either to the police or any matter in court or the Senate, regarding sexual harassment, it was just someone, who was expressing the right to public communication and the freedom of expression, that went to a television platform, another person could as well have gone to wuse market and lay an allegation and the institution of the Senate is asked to react to such."

He said it was a different thing that happened to Senator Saraki as he was accused of having used his office as the President of the Senate to import bullet proof vehicles without paying appropriate customs duties, even though the allegations where not correct and it was sent to ethics and privileges committee, but the important thing was that, there was a petition, but in this case there was no petition anywhere with the police, the court or even the national assembly of sexual harresment.

He then asked " so from where would the Senate as an institution set up a panel, who is the complainant? In every accusation there must be a complainant,there is no complainant here" 

The spokesperson to the Senate President however stressed that what is obviously happening is a dance theater drama, and as such what Distinguished Senator Bukola Saraki was saying has no place in the conversation.

When asked if she fills a complain today, would the ethics and privileges committee look into it. He said, "this is more of an afterthought, as Senator Natasha said in national television that in all these alleged harresments, that she never told the husband, and we are all aware, but today the husband is coming back to say that the wife carried him along. So, in all of this who do we believe? So, we must interogate the origin of some of these creations happening now."

He however stressed as a watchword to Nigerians, that "we should recognize that the national assmbly, particularly the Senate is the only reason for democracy, and we cannot destroy an institution, and if it's Akpabio today you want to sacrifice because of political celeveages, tomorrow another person would have to go through that and later we come and find out that it's not the truth."

 He recounted the issue of Reno Omokri who was accused of sexually abusing one young lady as it where, and the same character today came and tendered a passport and everything that even on the day of the accusation that he was not even around, as he was in the USA, and the same person went and deleted all that was posted online. So, this looks more or less like a replay in the season of anomie, and we should not give it credit, we should not allow it to exist.

The controversy has sparked a national debate on gender equality, sexual harassment, and the integrity of the Senate. As the situation unfolds, Nigerians await a resolution that upholds the values of democracy and accountability.