The Chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), River State Chapter and Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo, has backed Kogi Central Senatorial District, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Throwing his weight behind Natasha, Hilda said every senator, including the Senate President, was aware of the truth behind her claims.
Speaking on News Central on Wednesday, Dokubo dismissed criticisms levelled against Natasha, particularly those questioning her personal history with previous marriages.
The veteran actress asserted that the focus should be on the alleged harassment rather than on personal details, arguing that emotional responses in such situations are natural.
“Isn’t sex emotional? Why would I not get emotional if you are trying to prey on a very private part of me?” Dokubo said.
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“Imagine the audacity of questioning the number of husbands when I have been married once, and if it didn’t work out, I remarried. That should speak volumes about my discipline and my commitment to the institution of marriage.”
She contended that Senate President Akpabio should have addressed the matter directly by apologizing and clarifying that his alleged words were taken out of context. “The truth is, every one of them, including the Senate President, knows that she was harassed.
But they do not have the humility to apologize. We’re sorry if it came across to you as sexual harassment – that wasn’t what was intended. I was only being a friend,” she maintained.
The LP chair also took a swipe at Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, referred to as “red cap” questioning how he could assert that Natasha was lying when, in her view, the entire Senate had been untruthful under oath.
She lamented the widespread disbelief and victim-blaming that often surrounds claims of harassment and abuse, pointing out that public empathy usually emerges only after a crisis has escalated to a tragic end.
As the controversy unfolds, calls for a clear and public apology from Senate President Akpabio are growing louder, with many Nigerians urging that the matter be addressed with the seriousness it warrants.
