Concerned youth organisations across Nigeria, including Arewa Youths for Good Governance, South-West Youths Development Initiative, Northern Youths for Justice, and Igbo Youths Progressive Forum, on Tuesday, called for the immediate resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Their demand follows allegations of sexual harassment leveled against Akpabio by a female lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a controversy that has dominated public discourse in recent days.
In a joint statement by the groups’ coordinators, Ismail Jibril, Kehinde Sikiru, Ladoja Kehinde, and Jonathan Ezeme, the youth leaders expressed disappointment that Akpabio failed to step aside during the Senate plenary.
They declared: “Nigerians were last Friday treated to embarrassing news involving the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, with a mind-boggling allegation coming from Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
“Ordinarily, one would have wished away this kind of allegation with a wave of the hand. However, this should not be the case. We say this with every sense of responsibility, considering that this is not the first time Senator Akpabio is being accused of making such advances on women.
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“We have not forgotten how a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joy Nunieh, claimed Akpabio sexually harassed her. The now Senate President was then Minister of Niger Delta.
“Coincidentally, it was on the same television station where Natasha made this claim that Nunieh granted an interview and leveled allegations against Akpabio.
“She said on national television: ‘Why did he not tell Nigerians that I slapped him in his guest house at Apo? I am the only Ogoni woman, the only Nigerian woman that has slapped him. I slapped him because of his plan B. Since he couldn’t get me to take that money, he thought that he could come up on me.
“He didn’t know that I’m a Port Harcourt girl. Port Harcourt girls are not moved by money…by somebody telling me that he will make me the substantive MD. Akpabio’s meetings with me were either at Apo or Meridien. Yes, I am accusing him of sexual harassment.’”
The statement stressed that Akpabio’s continued stay in office is a disgrace to the National Assembly and Nigeria as a whole, arguing that he cannot preside over a Senate that will investigate him on such serious allegations.
“We have waited for days, thinking that the Senate President will toe the honorable path, which is to resign; this is the least expected in a sane clime. Unfortunately, he has clung to his seat, pretending as though nothing had happened.
“This is totally unacceptable, as there is no way he can be a judge in his own case. The Senate President cannot preside over a Senate that will have to interrogate the allegations against him. The moral burden is huge.
“Should Akpabio fail to resign, we urge the members of the National Assembly to redeem themselves by impeaching him. This is the only way to restore confidence in the parliament. The National Assembly, known as the Hallowed Chamber, cannot be left to be charmed by someone who has heavy allegations hanging on him. This touches on the root of the nation’s democracy – the parliament.
“It is only when Akpabio has stepped aside that both he and Natasha can appear before a probe committee, have a fair hearing, and justice be seen to have been served. Anything to the contrary will only lead to more witch-hunting of the female Senator,” they added.
