Natasha Akpoti“Regarding the nightclub incident, I believe that was not a slip of the tongue. He had told me that there are a number of ways we can have fun if we travel.”
These were parts of the revelation made today, February 28, by the embattled Senator representing Kogi State Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Udusghan while answering questions at the Arise Television.
Senator Natasha said that her trouble with the Senate President started on the 18th of December 2023, which was a day before his birthday and her birthday.
“We are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom because he had a big fanfare in the stadium.
“Myself, my husband and a few of his close friends, we went to Akwa Ibom and at first we were at Ikot Ekpene, where his house is, then we all moved to his house in Uyo. It was about 8pm and he held my hand and said he wanted to show me around his house.
“My husband was walking behind us. Just three of us. We were walking around from room to room. He showed me the beautiful interior.
“He noticed that he has to be spaced while still holding my hand. My husband was behind still on his phone, but he was watching up whenever he could and then he got to this particular sitting room and he said, do you like my house?
“I said, of course, sir. Every room, beautiful, nice interior, quality taste. He said, now that you’re a senator, I’m going to create time for us to come spend quality moments here. “You will enjoy it.
“At that point, I just pulled away and I was like, ‘I don’t really understand what exactly that meant.’ But then my husband when I turned around was already near me, and the way my husband looked at me and looked at him, I was beginning to wonder, did he hear part of that inciting statements or not?
“And then the Senate President too, I saw that he also had that thought like, did my husband hear the invitation to treat or not?
“So then the Senate President now said, oh, by the way, let me show you my chapel. He has a chapel in his house as well.
“So to the chapel. I know we walked in silence and all. So that evening before we left the Senate President’s house at about 11 midnight to the Four Point Hotel, my husband asked me, Natasha, what did the Senate President tell you. What was he telling you?
“I thought, should I tell him that he was speaking about bringing me in here at a special time for us to have a good time? Or should I just kill it there?
“I just gave him some words to mask what was said. After when we laid in bed to my right and my husband wrapped his hands around me and he said, my love you know you can tell me anything.
“What did the Senate President tell you? Again I was like don’t you believe me?
“I said nothing, nothing. Moreover it’s my birthday in a few minutes, let’s just be happy.”
Asked why other female senators have not publicly supported her, especially at the crucial hours during which she rose against the Senate President on the floor of the Senate, Natasha said that they had their own reasons for staying silent.
She confirmed that Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had privately called her, not to offer support, but to criticize her for filing a defamation lawsuit against the Senate President, Akpabio.
On the controversy surrounding her sitting arrangement in the chamber, Natasha confirmed that Order 10 of the Senate Rules states that senators must speak from their assigned seats.
She argued however that when it comes to issues of privilege, lawmakers are allowed to speak from anywhere in the chamber.
