Akpabio’s lawyer dismisses Natasha’s allegation, cites inconsistencies

Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has described the sexual harassment allegation leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as riddled with inconsistencies and lacking credible evidence.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, Agbakoba said the claims made by the embattled lawmaker do not meet the global threshold required to substantiate a sexual harassment allegation.

Agbakoba, who also serves as Akpabio’s legal counsel, said the timeline of events as presented by Akpoti-Uduaghan raises significant doubts. He highlighted that while the Senator alleged she was harassed by Akpabio on December 8, 2023, she went on to publicly praise him on social media the following day.

“In a post on December 9, she expressed warm sentiments and admiration towards the Senate President, referring to a birthday event she attended in Uyo. Such behavior following an alleged traumatic incident calls for scrutiny,” Agbakoba noted.

He further revealed that he had issued a formal letter to the suspended Senator on behalf of his client, asking her to clarify the contradictions in her statements, especially given the extensive local and international media coverage that he claims has damaged Akpabio’s reputation.

Agbakoba emphasized that while everyone should be free to speak up in a just society, the principles of fairness and due process must prevail.

“Sexual harassment is a grave allegation and deserves thorough and fair evaluation. However, our findings indicate major inconsistencies that cast doubt on the credibility of the claims,” he said.

Referencing earlier accusations made by the Senator against other public figures, Agbakoba called for proper institutional channels to handle such complaints rather than media trials.

He concluded by stating that Akpabio reserves the right to seek legal redress while giving Akpoti-Uduaghan a window to address the contradictions.