From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON) has passed vote of confidence on Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
This was in response to the allegation of sexual harassment by the Kogi Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Segun Okeowo, Director of COCSON, in a statement, on Thursday, said the recent false sexual harassment allegation against Senate President was a claim that was nothing more than a politically motivated attack aimed at tarnishing his reputation and destabilizing the Senate leadership.
He said: “This baseless accusation orchestrated by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was not an isolated incident but part of a broader scheme by anti-APC forces who see Akpabio’s cordial relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a threat to their selfish ambitions.
“However, we are not surprised by this latest falsehood, as it follows a familiar script used by Senator Natasha in the past. She had previously made unsubstantiated claims of sexual harassment against prominent figures, including former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and public affairs commentator Reno Omokri, none of which were proven to be true.
“This repeated pattern of using false sexual harassment claims for political gain and media attention is alarming. The accusation against Senate Akpabio was another desperate attempt to discredit a respected leader who has shown unwavering commitment to national stability and governance.
“We firmly believe that the accusation was a calculated political attack aimed at removing Senator Akpabio as Senate President because of his strong support for President Tinubu’s policies.”
The Organisations thus declared support for Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing him as a man of integrity who has never been involved in any form of sexual misconduct.
The demanded a full-scale investigation into the false allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and that she either provides concrete evidence or faces legal consequences for defamation.