Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, has hit back at a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olisa Agbakoba, who asked her to provide the evidence of sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In a letter dated April 30 and addressed to Agbakoba’s chambers, Akpoti-Uduaghan reaffirmed her resolve to pursue the case against Akpabio to its logical conclusion in the High Court.
She also maintained that her petition represents “the truth of the events complained about.”
Reacting to Agbakoba’s demand for a retraction of what he termed a “clearly false and unsubstantiated” allegation, Akpoti-Uduaghan declared that attempts to force her into prematurely disclosing evidence amounted to a misrepresentation of legal procedure and a distortion of how sexual harassment cases are to be handled under global standards.
She stated, “The assessment of evidence belongs to the courts alone. The nature of your demand for evidence in this manner, at the instance of your client, simply indicates a broader misconception of what truly amounts to sexual harassment as prescribed in several global protocols.”
Describing Agbakoba’s letter as an attempt to undermine due process, the lawmaker added, “It underscores a narrow perspective of the nature of this global menace. It is my respectful opinion that this is another attempt by your client to play to the gallery and relegate this matter yet again to the backwaters.”
She maintained that any further details would be provided only “in the ordinary course of disclosure, subject to the direction of the honourable courts,” warning that attempts to short-circuit the judicial process would erode the very rule-of-law principles Agbakoba is known to uphold.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also took issue with what she described as a media campaign allegedly orchestrated by Agbakoba on Akpabio’s behalf, saying such conduct undermines the integrity of court proceedings.
