The Action Collective, a political and Civil Advocacy pressure group, has called on the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio to immediately step down from office following mounting allegations of sexual harassment that have not only tainted the integrity of the National Assembly but have also embarrassed Nigeria before the international community. The group insists that Akpabio’s continued occupation of such a high office is undermining the image of the country and sends a wrong signal about the nation’s stance on issues of gender-based violence and accountability.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, April 10, 2025 and signed by its National Coordinator, Mr. Teddy Onyejuwe, the group reminded Nigerians and the world that Akpabio’s alleged misconduct did not start with the recent allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. “The character of Senator Akpabio has long been in question. As far back as 2020, Joy Nunieh, the former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), publicly alleged that Akpabio attempted to sexually harass her at his Abuja guest house, an advance she claimed to have resisted by slapping him,” the group recalled.
Although Akpabio denied the 2020 allegation and threatened legal action for defamation, Action Collective stressed that the consistency in the nature of accusations over time raises serious red flags about his conduct and fitness for office. “In a functional democracy, a public officer with such a controversial record would have stepped aside to allow for an independent and unhindered investigation,” the group noted, adding that Nigeria cannot afford to project leadership perceived to be hostile or disrespectful to women.
The group condemned what it described as a culture of impunity and the Senate’s lukewarm attitude towards addressing the matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. “We believe in the presumption of innocence, but we also believe in institutional integrity. The Senate President must step aside for the sake of the dignity of the legislative arm and the country at large. His continued presence in that seat is a mockery of justice and a slap in the face of every Nigerian woman,” the statement added.
Action Collective concluded by urging all well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organizations, and international human rights bodies to lend their voices to the call for Senator Akpabio to vacate office pending a transparent probe into the allegations. “If we must build a nation that commands global respect, we must be seen to uphold moral integrity in leadership,” Mr. Onyejuwe said.
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