Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senator and Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Ireti Kingibe, has stated that Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti has received more privileges than the other three female senators in the National Assembly.
Kingibe made this assertion while addressing Akpoti’s recent allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. She emphasized that, aside from Akpoti’s claims, the other female senators have not experienced any form of sexual harassment from their male colleagues.
Akpoti had alleged that Akpabio denied her parliamentary privileges and dismissed her motions due to her refusal to accept his alleged sexual advances. The controversy escalated following a dispute between Akpoti and Akpabio over seating arrangements in the Senate chambers.
In response, Akpabio’s wife, Unoma Akpabio, dismissed the claims, accusing the Kogi Central senator of fabricating lies against her husband.
Speaking in an interview with Arise Television, Kingibe criticized the ongoing dispute, stating that the Senate should focus on legislative matters rather than trivial disagreements over seating.
“The Senate is not a place to fight over trivialities like seating arrangements. It is where we address critical issues affecting the people,” she said.
Kingibe acknowledged the challenges female senators face but insisted that Akpoti had not raised her concerns with the other women in the Senate.
“If Natasha can prove her claims, we will support her. However, she has not discussed this issue with us and did not respond to the rest of the female senators throughout this episode,” Kingibe stated.
The FCT senator further revealed that she had reached out to Akpoti twice before contacting her husband but did not receive any response. She also noted that she had been reassigned seats four times, emphasizing that women in the Senate must adhere to institutional rules.
“There is hardly anything done to us that is not done to other male senators. Women must follow the rules of the institution they choose to join,” Kingibe added.
The controversy continues to generate reactions as calls for gender equity and fair treatment within the legislative body persist.
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