By Henry Umoru
ABUJA – A mild drama unfolded yesterday during the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions’ hearing on a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The petitioner, Mr. Zuberu Yakubu, representing suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), accused the committee of bias and lack of fair hearing.
Yakubu initially refused to speak unless Senator Natasha, his principal witness, was allowed to enter the National Assembly. He appeared before the committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), alongside his counsel, Dr. Abiola Akiyode, and former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili.
Following heated exchanges and accusations that Senator Imasuen had pre-judged the case by declaring the petition “dead on arrival,” the committee dismissed the petition, citing that the matter was already before a court.
Speaking to journalists after the hearing, Yakubu argued that the committee was biased and had denied them fair hearing.
“Senator Imasuen has already declared the petition dead on arrival. How can you judge fairly when you’ve already taken a position? It was clear we would not get a fair hearing,” he stated.
He further questioned the credibility of the process, alleging that some committee members were openly defending the Senate President.
“One committee member previously declared on live television that he is a principal witness to Akpabio. How can we expect fairness in such a setting?” Yakubu asked.
He also lamented that his principal witness, Senator Natasha, was barred from entering the National Assembly despite being crucial to the case.
“She was supposed to testify with clear evidence, but since she was denied entry, I could not proceed,” he added.
Dr. Abiola Akiyode, counsel to the petitioner, criticized the Senate’s handling of the matter, arguing that the same petition, originally submitted by Senator Natasha, had been dismissed unfairly.
“If Natasha’s petition was ‘dead on arrival,’ then how is Yakubu’s different? The chairman’s prior comments show clear bias,” she said.
She further accused the committee of inconsistency and manipulation.
“The Senate rules and the Constitution seem to contradict each other. That’s why Natasha could be suspended for six months without due process. Today, they invited Yakubu despite knowing the matter was in court. Why call him if they were going to dismiss it anyway?”
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, who attended as a witness for Senator Natasha, condemned the proceedings, calling it a “gross degradation of the Constitution.”
“The Nigerian Senate is treating its own rules as superior to the Constitution. This is dangerous for our democracy. The same thing happened when they suspended Senator Natasha,” Ezekwesili stated.
She insisted that an independent committee should be constituted to hear the case fairly.
“The petitioner is simply asking for a fair hearing. The Senate should form a neutral committee to handle this matter so justice can be served,” she concluded.
Yakubu and his legal team maintain that the dismissal of the petition was premeditated, and they plan to challenge the Senate’s actions through legal and constitutional means.
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