According to Vanguard, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has issued a second formal letter to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting she retracts her accusations of sexual harassment against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The legal team representing Akpabio, Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL), is pressing for this retraction, citing the senator’s failure to provide evidence or address inconsistencies in her claims.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), this recent move follows an earlier letter dated April 14, in which Agbakoba urged Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, to substantiate her claims of sexual harassment against Akpabio.
The controversy, which drew national attention, ultimately led to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate.
At a press briefing in Lagos, Agbakoba emphasized that the follow-up letter was prompted by the senator’s refusal to respond adequately to the discrepancies highlighted in the initial letter.
He pointed out that instead of offering clarification regarding her allegation—specifically, the timeline and her behavior immediately after the alleged incident—Akpoti-Uduaghan chose to delete related social media posts.
“Recall that in our first letter to you, we requested clarification of contradictions in your allegation against our client, Akpabio,” Agbakoba said.
A key issue is the conflicting timeline. You have not explained how you could accuse Akpabio of sexual harassment on December 8, 2023, yet praise him on your social media accounts the very next day, December 9. Instead of addressing this inconsistency, you chose to delete the post, which we find deeply troubling.
Agbakoba argued that regardless of public discourse surrounding Akpabio, the burden of proof lies squarely on Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He further questioned the prolonged delay between the alleged incident and the time the senator brought it to public attention.
“You claim that the sexual harassment occurred on Dec. 8, 2023 but your allegation was not made until Feb. 28, 2025. One year and 2 months after?” he asked.
The senior advocate pointed out that during the intervening period, Akpoti-Uduaghan was seen attending several domestic and international events alongside Akpabio, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union session in Geneva on March 24 and 25, 2024.
“In fact, you took several selfies and group photos with him during these events,” Agbakoba added.
“All these events were posted in warm tones by you on your social media platforms. Please see screenshot copies of your Facebook post(s) and other photos you took with Akpabio. We find this contradictory and unbelievable.”
Agbakoba maintained that these actions, particularly the friendly public interactions with Akpabio, do not align with the gravity of the allegations being made.
He concluded by reiterating the call for a public retraction of the sexual harassment claims.
“In light of this and having also failed to clarify inconsistencies pointed in our first letter to you, we demand that you retract the sexual harassment allegations against our client as they are clearly false and unsubstantiated,” Agbakoba declared.
This unfolding legal dispute underscores the importance of evidence and consistency in public accusations, especially against high-ranking officials.
It also raises questions about the processes within the Senate when handling sensitive allegations such as these.
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