‘Dead on arrival’ – Senate dismisses Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual assault petition against Akpabio

The Senate on Wednesday dismissed a sexual harassment petition filed against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, by the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The Chairman of Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen, who announced the resolution at a hearing at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the petition was “dead on arrival.”

Imaseun, who cited Order 40 of the Senate Standing Order, stressed that Akpoti-Uduaghan signed the petition herself instead of having it endorsed by another individual, thus rendering it invalid.

READ ALSO: Drama as Sen Natasha formally files sexual harassment petition against Akpabio

He argued that it would be subjudice to discuss issues raised in the petition since the matter was already in court.

Akpoti-Uduaghan formally submitted a sexual harassment petition against Akpabio during plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.

Imaseun said: “The petition that she (Akpoti-Uduaghan) presented today is actually dead on arrival. It runs contrary to Order 40, Subsection 4, which states that no Senator may present to the Senate a petition signed by him or herself. Since that petition was signed by her, it will not be entertained by this committee.”

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