The Special Adviser on Public Communication to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, has condemned Unoma, the wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, for dismissing the sexual harassment allegations made by Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti against her husband.
TrackNews Online reports that the controversy ignited when the Senate altered the seating arrangement of its members within the Upper Legislative chamber, sparking a confrontation between Natasha and Akpabio. During this exchange, Natasha asserted her lack of fear towards the Senate President.
In an interview with Arise TV on Friday, February 28, 2025, the senator accused Akpabio of making sexual advances toward her, claiming her motion was rejected because she refused to acquiesce to the Senate President’s demands. Natasha likened her predicament to that of a student failing an examination for declining to engage in an inappropriate relationship with a lecturer.
Responding to the allegations at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Unoma accused Natasha of defaming her husband and “creating content for personal gain.” She characterized the allegations as belittling and noted that Akpabio and Natasha’s husband are close friends. The Senate President’s wife described her husband as a disciplined and jovial individual often misconstrued by others.
In a post on 𝕏, Shaibu criticized Unoma for suggesting that Natasha’s husband should have personally addressed the issue with her, dismissing the notion as ludicrous. He wrote: “Does madam genuinely believe that High Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, the esteemed Alema of Warri Kingdom, should have personally reached out to her to express concern over the ‘Uncommon Transformer’s’ inappropriate intentions towards his wife?”
