Nigeria senate chamber be like "cult" - Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Nigerian Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan don allege say she experience sexual harassment involving di President of di Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, allegation wey Akpabio deny.
Speaking to BBC, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan - wey be one of only four women for di 109-member Senate - describe di chamber as "a cult" and say pipo no dey express contrary views for fear of retaliation.
Di Senate don already sama Akpoti-Uduaghan wit six months suspension, plus oda punishments, for allegedly disobeying dia standing rule, but she insist say di suspension na victimisation and "na way to silence me".
Senate deny di allegation
BBC reach out to di senate for comment on top dis allegations, and Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi wey be di Deputy Chief Whip of di Senate respond to say di allegations na false.
Nwebonyi say im also dey for Akpabio house for Akwa Ibom on di day wey Natasha dey allege say di sexual harassment incident happen.
"E no get any time for dat period in question wen di senate president make any unwanted sexual advances to Sen. Natasha for im kontri house. Di SP no hold Sen. Natasha hand, or squeeze am or make any suggestive advances, bicos she bin dey wit her husband, myself, ova 20 senators, and oda guests," Nwebonyi tok.
About di allegation say Akpabio bin make some sexual comments towards Akpoti-Uduaghan for di senate premises, Nwebonyi tok say dat one too na lie.
"E no get anytime di SP make such comments bicos di senate na serious institution wey dey handle serious national issues."
Nwebonyi add: "E dey highly suspicious say she start to dey make dis allegations afta she bin dey referred to di Senate Ethics Committee on February 25, 2025, for misconduct."
Di gbas gbos betwin di two senators - Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Godswill Akpabio, bin start afta dem change Akpoti-Uduaghan sitting position for di senate chambers.
She bin vex and para well-well during di plenary dat day as she no dey happy wit di new place wia dem assign to her.
But di senators say changing of sitting positions na normal tin and di senate president get power to reassign seats from time to time, and e no dey inform pesin or ask pesin opinion bifor e go reassign di pesin position.
Dem also say dat according to di senate standing rule, pesin must to be at di seat wey dem assign to am bifor di pesin go dey recognised to tok or contribute during plenary. Na dis rules dem allege say Akpoti-Uduaghan bin break.
However, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan later accuse Akpabio of sexual harassment, saying na bicos she refuse di advances of di senate president na why im dey persecute her.
Akpabio don deny di allegation.
