Natasha: APC Forum lays strong allegation against the opposition party

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The sexual harassment claims made by Kogi Central senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio have been characterized by the North-Central All Progressives Congress, or APC, Forum as a screenplay by opposition political parties.

The APC Forum also cautioned against what it called a conspiracy to undermine law and order in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and undermine the government of President Bola Tinubu.

The threat came after Natasha’s supporters demanded that the Senate President resign while the claims of sexual harassment against him were being looked into during the “Akpabio Must Go” demonstrations that took place at the National Assembly and in several areas of the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday.

With banners bearing slogans like “Akpabio Must Go” and “Protect Women’s Rights,” the demonstrators appeared at the National Assembly gate as early as 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday. They called on the Senate to look into Akpabio’s alleged wrongdoing and demanded accountability.

Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the chairman of the North-Central APC Forum and a member of the APC presidential campaign council for the 2023 election, responded to the development by saying that the demonstrators were organized to cause chaos and disturbance in the Federal Capital Territory. The statement was made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.

The protesters were given a 24-hour notice by the APC Forum to leave the FCT’s streets.

“We are putting the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, DSS, and other security agencies on the alert over the plot to cause anarchy and unrest in the FCT by sponsored protesters who have been mobilized to cause trouble to advance the political agenda of the opposition.

“We are, by this statement, giving the protesters and their sponsors 24 hours to vacate the streets of the FCT. As stakeholders of the North-Central, which includes the FCT, we can’t stand by and watch as hoodlums and anarchists cause a breakdown of law and order in the capital city, which has been known for peace and tranquility since the coming of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“Failing to vacate the streets of the FCT in 24 hours, we will mobilize our people to counter them,” parts of the statement read.

There is no proof that the Senate President committed the alleged sexual harassment, the Forum insisted, adding that the accusations were part of a scheme to blackmail Akpabio and damage the APC government.

The APC Forum questioned why Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan did not bring up the sexual harassment accusation against Akpabio until the Committee on Ethics and Privileges was looking into her for violating Senate rules, pointing out that documents indicate she was not the only senator to have her seat in the chamber reallocated.

“Does it mean that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan would have kept silent on the purported sexual harassment if Senate President Godswill Akpabio had not referred her to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation for breach of Senate Rules?

“Senate President Godswill Akpabio has proved himself to be an effective leader of the National Assembly, leading to a harmonious and productive relationship between the executive and the legislature, which has enabled President Bola Tinubu’s government to initiate and implement several transformative reforms.

“What is playing out in the Senate at the moment is a script by the opposition to destabilize the National Assembly and, by extension, the administration of President Bola Tinubu by derailing the fruitful working relationship between the executive and the legislature.

“We urge all members of our party and well-meaning Nigerians to rise up against this sinister plot, which should not be allowed to succeed.

“The North-Central APC Forum is also calling on the Senate and the National Assembly as a whole not to be distracted by the antics of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her co-travelers, whose motive is to destabilize the system for their selfish political interests,” the statement added.

Despite being the representative for Kogi State’s Kogi Central Senatorial District in the North-Central, the Forum emphasized that the zone’s stakeholders do not agree with Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s activities.

“Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is from our zone, but as stakeholders of the North-Central, we disown her actions, which we believe are not in the interest of the progress and development of the region and the country as a whole,” the statement said.

According to ZINGTIE, Akpabio disputed the accusations of sexual harassment against him during Wednesday’s plenary, claiming that he had never harassed a woman.

Akpabio had previously been the target of a sexual harassment petition filed by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Following the Senate’s return to plenary, the petition was presented on the higher legislative chamber’s floor.

Since there was no official petition against Akpabio, the Senate had previously stated that it was not looking into the claims.

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