BY NONYELUM JULIET
Kaduna
The Coalition of Female Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria has called for the immediate and unconditional resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio over alleged sexual scandals involving Senator Natasha of Kogi State and other related cases from the past.
The Coalition made the demands on Sunday in a statement signed by the Coordinators of six geopolitical zones, Amina Usman Zubairu, North West, Falmata Babagana Gire, North East, Oyindamola Ojulari, South West and Chinelo Emeka Augustin, South East, Prisca Planknan Auta, North Central and Linda Emonefe, South South.
The Coalition reiterated the need for Akpabio to step aside for thorough investigation against the allegation levelled against him.
“This is to allow for an unbiased, thorough, and fair investigation into the allegation”.
The group noted that these allegations are heavy, embarrassing, and an abuse of the Senator’s gender existence as a woman.
“Unless the Senate President had another motive (sexual harassment, which he is accused of) he had no justification for walking Senator Natasha out and threatening her with suspension or impeachment for rejecting a seating arrangement, something he did under Saraki’s leadership, and he wasn’t met with similar action”.
The Coalition, citing a newspaper report from the Whistler stated that Senator Akpabio has always had issues with women.
“In 2022, a weighty sexual assault allegation was made against him by former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joy Nunieh”.
“Akpabio promised to make her NDDC substantive MD. It’s the same tactics Senator Natasha has accused Akpabio of, that if she acquiesced to sexual gratification, she could enjoy a whole lot in the Senate. He also talked down on another female colleague, Senator Kingib, during plenary and denied her the opportunity to contribute.
“As a Female Civil Society Organisation that is gender sensitive, we frown at these behaviors of the Senate President, we condemn them and also call for his resignation as Senate President to allow for uninterrupted investigations.
“As a subject of investigations into sexual harassment allegations, Akpabio should step aside, he cannot be a judge in his own case. We believe his presence as the Senate President can compromise the course of investigation. Moreover, this is how these kind of cases are handled, for the accused to step aside until his innocence is proven or otherwise. Akpabio’s case should not be an exception”.
“While we declare our stance on coming out in numbers as high as 5000 to occupy and shut down activities of the National Assembly next week, displaying our anger on Akpabio’s relationship with women, we demand his immediate resignation as the Senate President for neutrality of the investigation.
“We are also calling on the National Human Rights Commission, Ethics and Privilege Committee of the National Assembly and other international bodies fighting against gender discrimination and sexual harassment of women to investigate Senator Akpabio, for this allegation and previous ones, because an injury to one, is an injury to all”.
