Sandra Duru, a UK-based activist known as Prof Mgbeke, has accused Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, of fabricating sexual harassment claims against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a Facebook live session on Thursday, Duru alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan offered her N200 million to accuse Akpabio of organ harvesting. According to Duru, the phone records of her conversations with the suspended Kogi Central lawmaker would serve as evidence to back up her claims.
“I had to redirect her back to my original question,” Duru said, explaining a conversation with the senator. “She then admitted the sexual harassment didn’t happen, and that she had no evidence.”
Duru also revealed that she confronted Akpoti-Uduaghan directly, calling her a “pathological liar” and accusing her of embarrassing Nigerians. “She referred to Nigerians as ‘G’ and ‘H’—Gullible and Hungry—and I asked her, ‘Do you want to make things worse for them?’”
The activist continued, claiming that she advised the senator to seek peace with the Senate. However, Duru said that Akpoti-Uduaghan remained defiant, insisting that certain forces within the Senate sought to “destroy the government.”
“I don’t know what she meant by that,” Duru said. “Natasha is not teachable, lacks humility, and doesn’t care. If things don’t go her way, she turns on you. Natasha is on a mission to destroy men… I can’t stand by and watch her lead our youth, our sons, and daughters, astray.”
The allegations and suspension
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan first made the allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Akpabio during a televised interview in February 2025. In the interview, she accused Akpabio of making inappropriate remarks, suggesting that her legislative proposal would only be considered if she “took care” of him. She also claimed he invited her to spend private time with him.
Akpabio has consistently denied the allegations, stating that he has never harassed any woman and urged the public to allow the courts to address the matter.
On March 6, 2025, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months without pay, citing her “unruly and disruptive” behavior. Her harassment complaint was dismissed on procedural grounds, as it had been submitted by Akpoti-Uduaghan herself rather than through another senator, violating Senate rules.
The suspension followed a dispute over a new seating arrangement in the Senate chamber, which Akpoti-Uduaghan believed was intended to humiliate her. In a later national TV interview, she claimed that her suspension was retaliation for rejecting Akpabio’s alleged sexual advances, a claim Akpabio firmly denied.
The Senate indicated that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension could be lifted if she issued a formal apology. The decision sparked protests across the country, with rallies under the slogan “We Are All Natasha” held in cities such as Lagos, Enugu, Edo, and Kaduna.
In response to her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan called it a “witch-hunt” and an attempt to silence her. She took her case to the international stage at a Women in Parliament event at the United Nations, where she denounced the Senate’s actions as illegal and sought global support.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dismissed a petition to recall her, ruling that it “failed to meet constitutional standards.”
This is not the first time the two senators have clashed. In July 2024, Akpabio publicly reprimanded Akpoti-Uduaghan in the Senate, saying, “We are not in a nightclub,” after she spoke without being recognized. The remark was widely criticized as “sexist,” prompting Akpabio to issue a public apology.
