A group of Edo women led by the Edo South Woman Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Itohan Osahon-Edokpolor (Esq) has called on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to stop blackmailing the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Godswill Akpabio over her suspension from the Senate, apologise to the Senate so that her suspension can be reduced, insisting that her suspension is as a result of her disobedience of Senate rules.
Osahon-Edokpolor made the call on Friday, 14 March at the secretariat of the Edo State Council of the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), during a protest by a group of Edo women against the activities of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in the Senate. She urged the public to be wary of the alleged blackmailing tactics of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan who the women alleged to be a serial blackmailer.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central in the Senate has accused the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio of alleged sexual harassment after the president of the Senate changed her seat in the red chamber.
The Senate suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan over alleged disobedience of Senate rules while dismissing her petition against Senator Akpabio for alleged sexual harassment.
Speaking to journalists during the peaceful protest, Hon. Osahon-Edokpolor urged members of the public to be educated not to dabble into the affairs of the Senate, noting that the upper legislative House has its rules.
“The Suspension of Natasha was not as a result of any sexual harassment. it is about the disobeying the rules of Senate. The Public should be well educated not to dabble into the affairs of the senate because in every organization there are rules that guide them and they have the right to implement the rules which ever way that’s suitable.
“And our Women should equally comport themselves in a way and manner that will be respected by men and shouldn’t bring out their waywardness to the public and radicle the dignity of other Women.
“Women in leadership are able to handle their affairs. We don’t need to be saying that men will be on us in leadership, which is very wrong.
“Natasha is not the only woman in Senate. There are other women who are there and they have been comporting themselves in a responsible way, even the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu was in the Senate and all the years she spent there was never issues of sexual harassment. Likewise other women who were in the senate.
“This is the first time Senator Natasha is going to the Senate, she should not use her attitude to stop other women opportunity of coming to the senate.
“Natasha should comport herself and apologize to the Senate so that they can reduce her suspension to a minimum duration of what is allowed in the Senate rules.
“In Edo we do not encourage such things and we are people of tradition our women are trained and our men are to comfort women in an orderly manner. So please no protest should be done in support of any irregularities”.