- Ayodele Arise served as the Ekiti North Senatorial District representative from 2007 to 2011, emphasized the importance of addressing sexual harassment claims with sensitivity and acknowledged the sympathy expressed toward women who experience such situations.
- When Senator Akpabio calls a male senator to see him in a hotel, would he read any meaning to it, on the floor, you are equal.
If she doesn’t want to come to the hotel, she can decline the offer.
Former Senator Ayodele Arise weighed in on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a segment on Arise TV’s Morning Show.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Arise stated that women face sexual gestures worldwide, implying that the issue is not unique to Nigeria.
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He argued that both parties could have managed the situation more effectively, considering the nation’s current priorities.
Arise, who served as the Ekiti North Senatorial District representative from 2007 to 2011, emphasized the importance of addressing sexual harassment claims with sensitivity and acknowledged the sympathy expressed toward women who experience such situations.
He said, “Every woman that is good-looking radically is subjected to such gestures (sexual). Even people take other people’s wives, not even Nigeria.
Would that be an issue for the TV for a senator? Of course, it wouldn’t have been right if it had happened. Even compliments like you are beautiful and you are gorgeous could be termed as sexual harassment.
So, we need to know where it starts and where the limit is. The one that the law recognises and can be easily proven is if you rape a woman, there are ways this could be detected, and the law would take its course.
“If she were the president of Nigeria, would she accuse anybody of sexual harassment? She is a senator, and what happens to saying ‘no’ when such issues arise? She could have removed her hand when she said the senate president held her hand and let him know that this was a no-go area.
“When Senator Akpabio calls a male senator to see him in a hotel, would he read any meaning to it, on the floor, you are equal. If she doesn’t want to come to the hotel, she can decline the offer.
There are so many things that can be discussed in the senate rather than this. This does not deserve the attention that people are giving it.
Speaking on Natasha’s suspension, Arise condemned the senate’s six-month resolution, saying, “When you suspend an elected person, you deprive that particular district of the right to representation.
The court, in the cases of Omo-Agege and Ndume, has said those six months are too long. And is not legal. They implied that only two weeks should be appropriate for an erring senator.
There should be punishment for breach of senate rules; the idea is to put somebody in order for no more than 30 days.
The ex-senator was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation.
Last week, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The petition was formally presented on the Senate floor upon resumption of plenary sessions.
Following the petition’s submission, Akpabio categorically denied harassing Akpoti-Uduaghan or any other female senator, urging Nigerians to refrain from drawing premature conclusions.
“Since February 20, I have received numerous calls about this matter. I want to state that at no time did I sexually harass Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. My late single mother raised me and have the highest regard for women,” he said.
In response to the report submitted by Senator Imasuen Neda Bernards, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, the Senate voted to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from all legislative activities for six months.
Citing multiple infractions against the Rules and Orders of the Senate, the Committee of the Whole determined that disciplinary measures were warranted.
The suspension took effect on March 6, 2025, and serves as a response to the allegations made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and subsequent procedural violations.
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The Senate President has vehemently denied the accusations and referred to his past recognition as Nigeria’s most gender-friendly governor during his tenure in Akwa Ibom State (2007-2015).
