Senate declares sexual harassment case against Senator Natasha closed

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Neda Imaseun, has declared that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment case is officially closed within the Senate.

Imaseun made this statement on Tuesday in response to remarks by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal counsel, Abiola Akiode, who had accused him of bias in handling the case.

He emphasized that the matter, which had drawn significant public attention, had been concluded and that no further action would be taken at the Senate level.

Earlier, Akiode had called for Imaseun to step down as committee chairman, arguing that his alleged bias undermined fairness in the proceedings. “If we are to proceed, we request that the chair recuse himself from this discussion to ensure fairness and justice in line with the constitution,” Akiode stated.

In his response, Imaseun insisted that the case now rests with the judiciary, making any further Senate deliberation unnecessary.

“The first petition we received was signed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan herself, which violates our rules—one cannot sign their own petition. Additionally, the petition lacked an address, another procedural violation,” he explained.

He further dismissed allegations of bias, stating, “If bias is being alleged, then the entire Senate must be considered biased, because the whole chamber witnessed what transpired. No ad-hoc committee can be constituted that isn’t already aware of the situation.”

Citing Senate rules, Imaseun referred to Order 40 (7), which prohibits the Senate from deliberating on matters pending in court. He concluded, “Since the petitioner has declined to proceed, citing bias, and the respondent has confirmed that the case is before a competent court, this committee will step aside and allow the judiciary to handle the matter. Therefore, this case is closed in the Senate and adjourned sine die.”