Senator Ned Nwoko has expressed disappointment over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that an apology could have prevented the outcome.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 for breaking Senate rules after objecting to her new sitting arrangement, which she claimed was designed to undermine her.
Nwoko advised her to apologize, but she refused. He believes that heeding his advice could have averted the suspension. The Senate had given her a reprieve, stating that if she submits a written apology during her suspension, her case may be reviewed
Speaking on Sunday Nwoko voiced his concerns in a statement posted on his official X handle : “After that incident, the Senate Committee on Ethics invited her for a disciplinary hearing, heard from those who were present that day, and all agreed that she had acted in an unruly manner. The report that was submitted was clear her conduct on the floor was unacceptable, and she should be suspended.
“I personally reached out to her during this process. I sent her messages because, as a lawyer, I know that before any judgment is passed, a person must be allowed to state their case. I asked her: ‘Are you prepared to apologise so that I can speak on your behalf? Ask that you be given the opportunity to apologise’?
“She responded that she did no wrong. That didn’t stop me. I told her directly: ‘You are wrong. I watched the video. I saw what happened. The report before us was not about any sexual harassment claim it was strictly about her disorderly conduct.
Continuing, Nwoko said he was shocked to discover that what started out as a simple matter of seat reallocation was soon twisted into an allegation of sexual harassment.
He also blamed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband, who he said, instead of resolving the matter maturely, allowed it to resort to media debate.
“I was also deeply disappointed by the reaction of her husband. I had expected him to find a way to de-escalate the matter, to prevent it from becoming a full-blown crisis. When he sent me his statement and reaction, I told him exactly how I felt.
“If my wife were in such a situation, I would do everything possible to resolve the issue privately, to manage it in a way that does not cause further division.
“It is even more surprising because her husband has been friends with the Senate President long before he married Natasha. This could have been settled without this level of unnecessary public drama.
“This is a normal and longstanding practice in the Senate. I have personally been moved three times. One thing that must be made clear is that the Senate did not deliberate on any sexual harassment allegations. That matter is before the courts and the courts will decide.
“It is highly unlikely that she will win such a case because the alleged incident supposedly happened over a year ago. She had multiple opportunities to report it to the Senate, police, or any authority, yet she did not. Even after this alleged incident, she travelled multiple times with the Senate President for international events, well-documented online.
“She was in the same spaces as him, attended meetings with him, and was often with her husband during these trips. To now come forward and narrow these allegations to a particular day, a particular time—when her husband was within range when other people were present when the Senate President’s wife was in the family house—raises serious questions,” he stated.
