Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has issued a detailed response to comments made by prominent lawyer Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) regarding her sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio
In a letter dated April 14, 2025, Agbakoba had demanded that Senator Natasha either retract her allegations or provide proof of her claim that Akpabio sexually harassed her on December 8, 2023.
Replying in a letter dated April 30, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that she never received any such letter via post, courier, or personal delivery, and rejected any claims of deliberate silence.
“I place it on formal record that no such letters have ever been served upon me. The imputation of recalcitrance is therefore inoperative,” she wrote.
She cited the legal principle of lis pendens, which discourages public commentary on matters already in court, explaining her initial silence. She noted that two cases are currently pending: one filed by Akpabio’s wife at the FCT High Court, seeking ₦250 billion in damages, and another she filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging her suspension from the Senate.
While clarifying that her lawsuit is unrelated to the harassment claims, she emphasized that Akpabio’s wife’s suit is directly linked to those allegations.
Akpoti-Uduaghan criticized Agbakoba for what she called a contradiction—attempting to sway public opinion while previously relying on the sub judice rule to stop a Senate investigation into the matter.
“A litigant may not approbate in the courts and reprobate in the press,” she said.
She also accused Akpabio of violating the principles of natural justice by presiding over the Senate session that led to her suspension, referencing the legal maxim nemo judex in causa sua—”no one should be a judge in his own cause.”
Addressing criticisms of her previously cordial relationship with Akpabio, she said, “Civility should not be mistaken for consent or comfort. To do so trivialises a serious concern of sexual harassment, especially in a workplace where there is a dominant power dynamic.”
She further argued that Agbakoba has no constitutional authority to demand evidence outside of legal proceedings.
“A private legal practitioner, however distinguished, is not vested with adjudicatory authority under the Constitution or any statute of the Federal Republic,” she asserted.
Reaffirming her February 28 complaint and ongoing court actions, she urged Agbakoba to properly advise his client on the ethical implications of presiding over a matter in which he is personally involved.
“This letter is issued solely to correct the public record and to prevent a constructive admission being inferred from silence,” she concluded, directing that any further communication be made through her legal counsel.
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