Ezekwesili accuses FG of misusing power to shield Akpabio from harassment allegations
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has accused the Federal Government of misusing its authority to shield Senate President Godswill Akpabio from sexual harassment allegations made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Ezekwesili claimed that the arraignment of Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on charges of criminal defamation was orchestrated by government lawyers acting on behalf of Akpabio and his allies.
She described the court case as “a crafty act of diversion” intended to intimidate the Kogi Central senator and deter other Nigerians from speaking out.
Her words: “In a case of gross abuse of power, the senate president, the Nigerian Senate, and Senator Akpabio co-opted the Nigerian government to turn the table on Senator Natasha Akpoti. Her demands for fair hearing and an independent investigation of her sexual harassment allegations have so far fallen on deaf ears.”
During her arraignment on Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge.
Ezekwesili also revealed that lawyers representing the Federal Government urged the court to deny the senator bail and detain her until the trial begins on September 23, 2025.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Orji, dismissed that request and granted her bail under certain conditions, which she fulfilled before leaving the court premises.
The former minister wrote: “She walked out of court in the company of her devoted husband. She’s not backing down and continues to insist that her sexual harassment petition against Senator Akpabio is the issue that cannot be ignored regardless of the shenanigans of those that seek to silence her.”
Ezekwesili, who attended the court session with civil society activists including Aisha Yesufu and members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), said the embattled senator received strong backing from her constituents in Kogi Central and other Nigerians.
She warned that the prosecution sends a dangerous message that any citizen who dares to speak out could face persecution.
“All reasonable Nigerians agree and stand with her,” she stated.
