Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has pushed back against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations of mistreatment in the Senate, stating that the Kogi Central lawmaker has received more privileges than other female senators.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News on Friday, Kingibe addressed the controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The incident, which occurred on February 20 during a plenary session, involved a dispute over changes in seating arrangements. Akpoti-Uduaghan later accused Akpabio of retaliating against her after she allegedly rejected his sexual advances.
Kingibe, however, dismissed these claims, stressing that Akpoti-Uduaghan was not the only senator affected by seating changes. She criticized her colleague for failing to follow Senate procedures, noting that such issues should be resolved within parliamentary guidelines.
“Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules. As women, we refrained from publicly criticizing her, hoping this matter would pass, as many others do,” Kingibe said.
She emphasized that the Senate is “not gender-friendly” but is gradually improving, adding that concerns raised with the Senate President are usually addressed.
“The truth is, Senator Natasha has received the most privileges among the four female senators. My own seat has been moved four times,” she stated.
Regarding the sexual harassment allegations, Kingibe maintained that she was not personally close to Akpabio and could not comment on the matter. However, she recounted an instance where she collected documents for Akpoti-Uduaghan and later visited her residence, where the Kogi senator mentioned that Akpabio had requested a meeting at a hotel.
