A United States based activist, Sandra Duru, has claimed that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan falsely accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Duru, who is also known online as Prof Mgbeke, made the claim during a Facebook live session on Thursday. She alleged that Senator Natasha, who represents Kogi Central, offered her ₦200 million to accuse Akpabio of organ harvesting.
“She told me the sexual harassment didn’t happen and that she had no evidence,” Duru said. “I told her, ‘You are a pathological liar. You have disgraced us, Nigerians.’ She said Nigerians are ‘Gullible and Hungry’. I was shocked.”
According to Duru, she has call recordings to back her claims. She said she had advised Senator Natasha to settle her issues with members of the Senate, but the senator was not willing to listen.
“Natasha is not teachable. She lacks humility. If it doesn’t go her way, you become her enemy. She is on a mission to destroy men, and I won’t sit and watch her mislead our sons and daughters,” Duru added.
In February 2025, Senator Natasha went on national TV and accused Akpabio of sexual harassment. She claimed he made inappropriate comments about her and said her legislative proposal would only pass if she “took care” of him. She also alleged he invited her for a private meeting.
Akpabio denied the claims and said he had never harassed any woman. He urged Nigerians to allow the court to handle the matter.
The Senate suspended Natasha on March 6 for six months without pay. They said she acted in a “disruptive” manner and submitted her complaint the wrong way—directly instead of through another senator, which broke Senate rules.
She later said the suspension was punishment for rejecting Akpabio’s alleged advances, but the Senate said she could return if she apologised in writing.
Her suspension caused protests across Nigeria. Supporters marched under the slogan “We Are All Natasha” in cities like Lagos, Kaduna, and Enugu.
Speaking at a United Nations event for Women in Parliament, Natasha called her suspension “illegal” and asked the international community for support.
The Independent National Electoral Commission also rejected a petition to remove her from office, saying it did not meet legal standards.
This is not the first time Natasha and Akpabio have clashed. In July 2024, Akpabio told her during a Senate session, “We are not in a nightclub,” after she spoke out of turn. That comment drew backlash and was seen as sexist. Akpabio later apologised publicly.
