ABUJA, Nigeria – The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Petitions, led by Senator Neda Imasuen, has again declined to hear a petition by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan regarding sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The petition, filed by Mr. Zubairu Yakubu from Kogi Central Senatorial District, was presented before the Committee on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, with the support of former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, who appeared as a witness.
Senator Imasuen, citing Senate rules, explained that the Committee could not sit on the petition due to a pending case filed against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by Unoma Akpabio, the wife of the Senate President.
The Committee ruled that it refrains from entertaining petitions on matters that are currently before the courts.
Speaking to journalists after the hearing, Ezekwesili strongly criticized the Senate’s decision, accusing the Committee of violating the Nigerian Constitution.
She argued that the Senate’s internal rules should not override the Constitution.
“The Nigerian Senate keeps telling citizens they are subject to Senate rules, even when those rules violate the Constitution. This is unacceptable in a democracy,” she said.
Ezekwesili further alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been suspended from the Senate for six months, was being denied a fair hearing, a violation of her constitutional rights.
“The Senate placed its own rules above the laws of the land. Now, with this petitioner, they have done the same thing—using procedural loopholes to avoid addressing critical issues,” she added.
The former Education Minister called for an independent body to review Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition, suggesting that the Senate’s actions had shown clear bias.
“If a petitioner says they do not believe the Senate committee will give them a fair hearing due to clear bias, it is only just that an independent body reviews the matter,” she stated.
Ezekwesili also warned that the Senate’s handling of the case could set a dangerous precedent, where internal rules are allowed to override the Constitution, undermining democratic processes.
“The Senate must respect the Constitution. Otherwise, we risk turning our democracy into a system where powerful individuals manipulate processes to silence opposition and suppress justice,” she cautioned.
The dispute over bias was further intensified by a verbal exchange between Ezekwesili and Senator Onyeka Nwaebonyi, who used derogatory language towards the former Minister.
Adding to the accusations of unfair treatment, Yakubu expressed his disappointment that the Committee refused his request for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to testify as the principal witness in the petition.
Yakubu noted that the suspended senator was in possession of critical documentary evidence to support the claims but was barred from entering the National Assembly to testify.
“If my key witness is denied access, how can I proceed with my case?” he questioned.
Legal expert Dr. Abiola Akinyode, representing the petitioner, also criticized the Senate’s handling of the petitions.
She pointed out that there was no significant difference between Yakubu’s petition and Akpoti-Uduaghan’s original petition, and that both should be treated equally.
“There is nothing in Yakubu’s petition that was not in Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s original petition. If the Senate dismissed her petition as ‘dead on arrival,’ then logically, Yakubu’s should also be dismissed.”
Akinyode also challenged the Committee’s reasoning for not addressing the petition, noting that if they were aware of the case in court, they should have simply informed the petitioner instead of inviting him and later dismissing the petition on the grounds that it was before a court of competent jurisdiction.
