Concerns over the lingering feud between the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the senator representing Kogi Central District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, are on the front burner as the Senate resumes plenary on Tuesday.
The festering animosity between the two lawmakers has dominated the media space and public discourse since the disagreement broke out in late February.
Not a few of the lawmakers are said to be uncomfortable with the negative slant and unsavoury reputation the feud is casting on the image of the Senate.
Some of the senators have reportedly decried sustained media reports on the allegation of sexual harassment against Akpabio, describing it as a huge embarrassment to the Senate as an institution.
The Senate had, on March 6, suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for breaking some provisions of its standing rules.
The suspension came with the freezing of her salaries, allowances and other perks of office, and the withdrawal of her security detail for the duration of her suspension.
Also, her office, located in the Senate wing of the National Assembly complex, had been sealed, and she has been barred from physically getting close to the parliament building.
The media, especially social media platforms, have continued to highlight Natasha’s sexual harassment allegation against Akpabio in their reports, even as the leadership of the Senate has consistently clarified that she was suspended for violating Senate rules.
Various interest groups within and outside Nigeria have launched aggressive media campaigns, apparently sponsored by the two camps, attacking or defending the two feuding senators.
A court order restraining both Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further public comments on the matter has been of little effect, as the media war is being fought by their proxies.
Describing the lingering feud as an unpleasant development, one of the concerned senators said the matter must be resolved without delay to save the image of the Senate from further ridicule.
The senator, who craved anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, told THE WHISTLER on Monday that the Akpabio-led Senate would be persuaded to work out an amicable resolution of the matter.
When asked if such a resolution would consider lifting the suspension order on Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator said, “That is the heart of the matter,” adding that “you don’t expect her to accept any deal while she is still under suspension.”
Speaking further on the need to find an amicable resolution, the senator said whatever settlement was reached would be binding on both Akpabio and Akpabio Uduaghan.
“We will activate an internal conflict resolution mechanism that would be fair to both parties, and we are going to extract commitment from the two of them to abide by whatever resolution we may arrive at.
“We are going to be fair to ourselves because the process will involve members of the Senate in an executive session. Whatever resolution we come up with would require both parties to withdraw the cases they have filed against each other in courts.”
The lawmaker described the feud as a huge distraction that must not be allowed to continue. Asked what the next step would be should the planned amicable resolution fail, the senator said, “I don’t see that happening. I won’t entertain such negativity.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended following the consideration of the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which investigated the allegations against her.
The committee threw out the two petitions she submitted, raising sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio. The Senate President has persistently denied the allegations.
According to Akpabio, the female lawmaker resorted to her sexual harassment allegations after she was removed as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Contents.
The feud was sparked by Akpabio’s decision to change Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seating position in the Senate chamber.
But she considered the Senate President’s action as vindictive and an attempt to intimidate and subjugate her.
