Saraki Slams Akpabio: Stop Playing Politics with Sexual Harassment Allegations

By Achimi Muktar

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has fired back at Senate President Godswill Akpabio over claims that the call for an open investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him is a ploy to remove a Niger Delta politician from office.

Saraki, in a strongly worded statement issued by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, accused Akpabio of politicizing and trivializing a serious issue that threatens the integrity of the Senate. He dismissed the notion that there was any call for Akpabio’s resignation and urged him to prioritize transparency over political drama.

Saraki: ‘This Is About Integrity, Not Politics’

Saraki’s statement comes in response to Akpabio’s remarks on Friday, where he claimed that individuals from Kwara and Adamawa were conspiring to unseat him because of his Niger Delta roots.

Saraki, however, made it clear that the issue at hand has nothing to do with party politics or regional affiliations. Instead, he emphasized that the Senate’s credibility is at stake and must be protected through a fair and open probe into the allegations by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“In my last statement on this issue, I never called for Akpabio’s resignation,” Saraki clarified. “Rather, I advised that the Senate President should ensure that no one perceives the Senate as covering up serious allegations of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office.”

‘This Is Bigger Than Akpabio’

Saraki stressed that his concerns are not about whether Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims are true or false but about how the institution handles such sensitive accusations.

“The way this issue is addressed will determine whether the public and the international community continue to see the Nigerian Senate as a credible institution or as one that tolerates sexual harassment and abuse of power,” he said.

He also reminded Akpabio that there are already established procedures in the Constitution and Senate rules for handling such allegations.

Akpabio Accused of Exploiting Ethnic Sentiments

Saraki did not hold back in criticizing Akpabio for allegedly using ethnic and political narratives to shift focus from the real issue.

“It is disingenuous and crude to frame my call for transparency along ethnic or political lines,” Saraki’s statement read. “This is not about APC or PDP, or about North and South. It’s about justice and integrity.”

He warned that by dragging ethnic and political sentiments into the matter, Akpabio risks undermining his own credibility and that of the Senate as a whole.

A Call for Justice and Transparency

Saraki insisted that an open and unbiased investigation is the only way to ensure that justice is served and that the Senate is not seen as an institution that tolerates sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

“When allegations of this nature arise, especially in a legislative institution, it is an opportunity to set an example,” he said. “The Senate must not be seen as a place where such serious issues are swept under the rug.”

With public scrutiny mounting, the big question remains: Will Akpabio heed Saraki’s call for transparency, or will the Senate be plunged further into controversy?