Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had sparked controversy when she accused the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, among other things, of reallocating her seat in the Senate Chambers in order to ?silence? and intimidate her while reacting to the change of her seat.

Akpabio had threatened to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan for refusing to move to a new seat. This escalated into allegations of sexual harassment, which Womanifesto insisted cannot be dismissed, especially given similar allegations in 2020 by Joy Nunieh.

The group, in a statement signed by the Co-convener of Womanifesto, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said it is deeply concerned about derogatory remarks made by Akpabio against female senators, including Senator Natasha Akpoti, who has alleged sexual harassment against him.

?We expect our lawmakers to uphold the highest standards of excellence and character, worthy of emulation,? she said. ?The Senate President is strictly in the status of a first among equals, and all lawmakers must be accorded respect and dignity on the floor of the Senate.?

Womanifesto demanded Akpabio?s immediate resignation to allow for an unbiased investigation and a public hearing by the Senate?s Ethics Committee for transparency and accountability.

?We stand resiliently against all forms of sexual harassment and intimidation of women in their public and private lives,? Akiyode-Afolabi emphasised.

The statement read in part: ?While the initial public outburst and escalation of conflict between Senators Akpoti and Akpabio on matters of the re-allocation of seats and alleged denial of legal privileges were serious enough to warrant a call for an investigation, the latest twist has accentuated the necessity for more urgent action.

?We understand that this original conflict was referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review. At this stage, we consider this initial response by the Senate as no longer adequate to assure concerned Nigerians that the facts of this unprecedented crisis will be transparently unearthed and resolved. Cognisant that this grossly degenerating episode has severe implications for the credibility of our highest lawmaking body, the Senate must act appropriately, publicly, and with urgency.

?Women are grossly underrepresented in Nigerian politics and governance. Nigeria is woefully and embarrassingly at the bottom of the Africa Ranking of Percentage of Women in National Parliaments with only 4 women out of 109 Senators, being a mere 3.67%. Also, only 14 women are in the House of Representatives out of 360 members, constituting a mere 3.9%.

?Besides the issue of poor representation of women in public decision-making, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) is equally at an alarming rate, with statistics showing that 1 in 3 women, across social strata, have experienced violence in their lifetime. As women?s rights advocates, we believe that an allegation of sexual harassment against the 3rd citizen of the country cannot be swept under the carpet. We stand resiliently against all forms of sexual harassment and intimidation of women in their public and private lives.

?We therefore demand that the Senate President Godswill Akpabio steps down immediately to allow an unbiased investigation into the allegation of sexual harassment against him. We also demand that the investigation is immediately assigned to the Ethics Committee only on the condition that the sitting is raised to the status of a Public Hearing. Our demand includes an immediate independent investigation to inform the public hearing by the National Assembly?s Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

?The National Assembly must recognise that it is equally on trial before the whole nation. Do the actions, structures, and systems of our public institutions protect Nigerian women and girls? This unfortunate incident is a core learning moment for all Nigerians, especially as it concerns the protection of women and girls against sexual and gender-based violence.

?We, the Women of Nigeria, hereby reiterate our demands:

Senator Godswill Akpabio must step down as Senate President immediately.

An immediate investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti.

A public hearing by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for transparency and accountability.

All other matters already in court follow due legal process.?

Nigeria?s poor representation of women in politics and the alarming rate of sexual and gender-based violence underscore the urgency of addressing these issues. ?We demand justice. We demand accountability. We demand the protection of Nigerian women and girls. It is in the public interest for the Senate to accede to our demand,? Akiyode-Afolabi concluded.(The Sun)

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