Women for Change Vanguard protesters brought the ongoing dispute between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi legislator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the UN headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
With banners that read, “The burden of proof lies with the accuser,” and “We believe in actual victims of sexual harassment, not people who weaponize it,” the demonstrators chanted solidarity songs and urged Akpoti-Uduaghan to present proof of the alleged sexual harassment she had accused Akpabio of.
The demonstration takes place just twenty-four hours after the senator from Kogi Central accused Akpabio and others of disrespect for her six-month unpaid Senate ban.
Recall that Akpoti-Uduaghan had taken her disagreement with Akpabio to a higher level and had made her case to the International Parliamentary Union, a United Nations organization, claiming political victimization.
After a heated argument with Senate leadership about a new seating arrangement that she said was intended to discredit her, she was suspended on March 6.
Read Also: Breaking: Appeal Court Halts Sanusi Lamido’s Reinstatement as Kano Emir
When Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed on national television that Akpabio was punishing her for turning down his purported sexual approaches, tensions increased.
Speaking to the United Nations representatives in Abuja, protest leader Irene Umoh said that the women’s organization made the decision to petition the UN on Friday in response to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attempts to play the victim on the global scene.
Umoh also instructed the international organization to request that the suspended lawmaker present verifiable proof of the alleged sexual harassment to the globe.
She stated, “Senator Natasha has already leveled grave accusations against a well-known individual. Such acts run the risk of compromising the fundamental tenets of our campaign against sexual abuse and turning into a weapon she uses against powerful men.
As mothers and Women for Change Vanguard members, we understand the seriousness of false charges. In addition to hurting the accused, such allegations frequently minimize the suffering of real survivors.
We urge Senator Natasha to back up her allegations against Senator Godswill Akpabio with specific examples. We shall remain steadfast in our resolve to see that justice is done, should solid proof be offered.
She claims that many women will begin using sexual harassment as a weapon against defenseless males if all claims of sexual harassment against the other gender are accepted without solid proof.
“Today’s nonviolent demonstration aims to hold both sides accountable in addition to calling for justice. While Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan must provide proof that she was sexually abused, Senator Akpabio must be given the chance to cleanse his name.
“We must not be seen as weak because we are women. Rather, we need to be resilient and strong, both at work and outside of it,” she said.
Adwoa Kufuor, the UN Senior Human Rights Advisor, pledged to forward the women’s petition to the appropriate department inside the organization.
