News
Kogi Central Women group support recall of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Women group operating under the aegis of Kogi Central Women Development Association, KCWDA said, it backed the recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing the Central District in the Senate.
Speaking at a press conference in Lokoja on Thursday, the leader of the group, Dr. E. Sandra lamented that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan misbehavior in the upper legislative chamber will cast aspersion on the credibility of female politicians in the region.
She expressed concern that Senator Natasha could not produce any concrete evidence of her claim of sexual harassment against the Senate President, thereby raising the issue of blackmail and ill-motives.
She said, “A primary focus of the KCWDA’s criticism is the senator’s decision to take an arm of the Nigerian government before the United Nations.”
The group argued that such a move not only diminishes her authority as a sit¬ting senator but also projects an image of self-superiority, suggesting that she per-ceives herself as unequal to her colleagues in the Senate.
KCWDA condemned the senator’s appearance before the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which they claimed embarrassed the National Assembly and damaged Nigeria’s reputation on the global stage.
The association further took issue with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s focus on portraying herself as a victim of sexu¬al harassment, arguing that this has distracted from her responsibilities to represent the people of Kogi Central.
The group insisted that the senator failed to address the critical issues affecting her constituents, instead opting for a narrative of victimhood.
A particularly conten¬tious point raised by the KCWDA is Akpoti-Udu¬aghan’s refusal to apologise to Senate President Akpabio following a dispute that led to her six-month suspension.
KCWDA maintained that her suspension deprived the people of Kogi Central of proper representation during a crucial time.
While expressing its con¬cerns, KCWDA announced that it’ll initiate the process of recalling Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, demanding a public apology from the sen¬ator, as well as the election of a new representative who it described as “people-cen¬tric, law-abiding, and drama-free.”
Dr. Sandra, while lament¬ing that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s success was once seen as a breakthrough for women in the region, however, noted that the senator has squan¬dered the opportunity by diverting attention from pressing issues to focus on her own alleged victimisation.
Acknowledging that the KCWDA is not in a position to determine the veracity of the sexual harassment alle¬gations, Dr. Sandra emphasised that the senator must present concrete evidence to support her claims before she can expect the group’s backing.
As the dispute contin¬ues to unfold, the future of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan remains uncertain, with the KCWDA pushing for a change in leadership that better serves the interests of Kogi Central.
