The Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, has stated that the sexual harassment allegation leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is not currently before the Senate.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Monday, Adaramodu clarified that the only matter under review by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions concerns Akpoti-Uduaghan’s alleged non-compliance with the Senate’s standing orders.
“The only matter before the Senate is between Senator Natasha and the rest of the senators, that she is not complying with the standing orders of the Senate. No other issues,” he said.
He further explained that any new complaints involving senators would be handled by the appropriate committee if formally referred.
“If there is anything that comes tomorrow about any senator in the National Assembly, the Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition Committee will review it once it is referred to them. It is going to be taken as an internal affair,” Adaramodu added.
Emphasizing the independence of the committee, he noted that its operations are not influenced by individual senators, including the Senate President.
“The Senate does not run the committee with senators. The Senate President does not even run with its members. It is an independent committee,” he stated.
The allegations surfaced amid tensions within the Senate, but according to Adaramodu, there has been no official referral of the sexual harassment claims to the committee for deliberation.
