Akpabio Under Fire: Deputy Chief Whip Says Accusations Lack Merit

The Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi, has warned against what he calls politically motivated misinformation aimed at destabilizing the Senate. He urged Nigerians to recognize and resist attempts to manipulate the institution for personal or political gain.

His remarks come in response to former Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s recent call for transparency in addressing allegations against the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

However, Nwebonyi contends that Saraki’s case—pertaining to an administrative issue over an official vehicle—differs significantly from the current allegations against Akpabio, which he dismisses as baseless and strategically timed to evade disciplinary action.

According to Naija News, Nwebonyi specifically criticized Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who recently accused Akpabio of sexual harassment. He questioned why she only made the allegations after being summoned for disciplinary proceedings, noting that no prior complaints were lodged within the Senate or with female colleagues.

“If we accept Saraki’s reasoning, we would set a dangerous precedent where anyone can make baseless accusations and expect the Senate to halt its activities,” Nwebonyi stated.

A Pattern of Reckless Allegations

The Deputy Chief Whip highlighted what he described as a trend of unverified accusations by Akpoti-Uduaghan against prominent figures, including Reno Omokri, Dino Melaye, and Yahaya Bello, arguing that her claims have repeatedly lacked substantiating evidence.

He also pointed out that Akpoti-Uduaghan was appointed as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content before the alleged incident. He questioned why she would accept the leadership role under Akpabio if she had genuine grievances.

Nwebonyi outlined three key principles for addressing the controversy:

• Akpoti-Uduaghan should first appear before the Senate Ethics Committee to answer for her alleged misconduct.
• If she has a legitimate harassment claim, she should pursue legal action through the appropriate channels.
• The Senate must not allow itself to be distracted by what he called a “calculated campaign to evade accountability.”

“The Senate operates based on reason and law, not sentiments or theatrics,” Nwebonyi asserted, emphasizing the need to protect the institution from what he described as “opportunistic falsehoods.”

He urged both the Senate and Nigerians to remain vigilant and not allow blackmail to dictate the legislative agenda.