Natasha: Akpabio rejects resignation demands

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed mounting calls from civil society organizatioeens and critics urging him to resign, vowing not to succumb to what he described as baseless and unjust allegations.

Speaking on Thursday during a plenary session, Akpabio addressed the Senate chamber in response to remarks by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC – Ekiti Central), who had encouraged lawmakers to remain focused on their legislative responsibilities despite growing political distractions.

“Who told you I was going to step down?” Akpabio asked, visibly firm in tone. “I’m not one of those people who will step down over false allegations.”

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The Senate President has recently come under public scrutiny following sexual harassment allegations made by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as well as a revived claim linking him to electoral misconduct during the 2019 general elections. These developments have fueled pressure from advocacy groups demanding his resignation.

Akpabio, however, likened his situation to the plight of Black Americans who were wrongfully imprisoned, stating that history is replete with examples of people being condemned before the truth is revealed.

“There are Black people in America who went to prison for false allegations. Some were there for 25 years,” he said. “When it is eventually proven that the allegation is false, they say, ‘Oh well… he’s not that bad.’ That’s not justice.”

He thanked Senator Bamidele for his supportive words and urged colleagues to resist external pressures that could derail the Senate’s work.

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