27 groups, under the National Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (NACOCSO), has declared support of Senate President Godswill Akpabio over tension generated by the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The group made this known during a peaceful protest march, at the National Assembly gate.
They dismissed allegations of gender-based suppression, dating that the issue is a matter of disorderly conduct rather than sexual harassment.
Comr. Adebayo Lion Ogorry, the National Coordinator, NACOCSO, who read a prepared speech to journalists during the event, maintained that Natasha allegedly violated decorum by resisting a routine seating arrangement change, prompting disciplinary action. The coalition emphasized that such reshuffles are standard and unrelated to gender.
NACOCSO noted the Senate does not adjudicate such claims, which Natasha has taken to court, questioning the timing of her allegations, citing her prior interactions with Akpabio at international events.
“She had multiple opportunities to report it to the Senate, the police, or any authority, yet she did not until when her seat was changed.
Futhermore Even after this alleged incident, she traveled multiple times with the Senate President for international events, which were well-documented online.
“She was in the same spaces as him, attended meetings with him, and was often with her husband during these trips.
“The senate must not bow to emotional blackmail or social media outrage fueled by false or half-truth narratives” stated the the National Coordinator.
NACOCSO recalled that the Senate unanimously passed a confidence vote in Akpabio on March 13, 2025, days after Natasha addressed the Inter-Parliamentary Union in New York. Other CSOs, including the Tinubu/Shettima Support Movement, have similarly defended Akpabio, calling the allegations a “political plot”.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Akpabio may temporarily step down to allow a Senate committee to clear him, potentially paving the way for Natasha’s indefinite suspension.
While NACOCSO and allied groups back Akpabio, others, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki and women’s rights organizations, have criticized the Senate’s handling of the case, urging transparency and condemning Natasha’s suspension as a “witch hunt”.
