The National Assembly witnessed heightened tensions on Wednesday as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, arrived amid protests calling for the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The demonstration, led by her supporters, was met with a counter-protest by pro-Akpabio demonstrators, escalating the standoff.
Akpoti-Uduaghan recently accused Akpabio of sexually harassing her during a visit to his residence in December 2023 and again while seeking clarification on her Ajaokuta Steel motion. She had also alleged that she was deliberately isolated from her colleagues due to her seating arrangement in the Senate.
As she arrived at the protest site near the Mopol gate, her supporters erupted in chants, waving placards with messages such as “Akpabio must go” and “We stand with Senator Natasha.” The demonstration, which included civil society groups, called for an independent investigation into her claims.
Simultaneously, pro-Akpabio demonstrators staged a counter-protest, displaying banners with inscriptions such as “We say no to Natasha’s serial blackmailing” and “Akpabio treated Natasha as a daughter and friend.”
Earlier in the day, security personnel, including plainclothes officers, had dispersed the initial wave of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters with tear gas at the National Assembly Arcade, opposite Eagle Square. However, the protesters regrouped at a nearby location and continued their demonstration, underscoring the deepening divisions within the Senate.
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