The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has resubmitted her sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The petition, initially rejected by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, was presented again during Thursday’s plenary session.
Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed that the petition, filed by her constituents and led by Zubairu Yakubu, had no legal barriers preventing its submission. In response to her filing, Senate President Akpabio asked if there were any legal impediments, to which she affirmed there were none.
The Senate President instructed that the petition be formally laid before the Senate and referred it to the Ethics Committee, headed by Senator Neda Imasuen. He directed that a report be brought back to the plenary within four weeks.
This petition comes after an earlier controversy in which Akpoti-Uduaghan had submitted similar sexual harassment allegations during Wednesday’s plenary.
However, the petition was dismissed by the Senate Ethics Committee due to procedural concerns, with Senate Chief Whip Senator Mohammed Monguno arguing that the matter was sub judice due to a related ongoing court case.
The latest resubmission is expected to ignite further debates within the Senate as the Ethics Committee begins its review process.