Senator Bamidele Opeyemi has urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to review the recorded phone conversation between him and suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Opeyemi, the Nigerian Senate majority leader, was accused by Senator Natasha during her interview on Arise Television last week of calling and threatening her over the allegation.
Recall that Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan granted an interview, with the key focus being the allegation of sexual harassment leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Natasha was suspended on Thursday by the Senate, a day after she officially submitted her petition against the Senate President.
The suspension followed a report by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which was submitted to the Committee of the Whole, citing several infractions on the Rules and Orders of the Senate.
The same Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions had previously declared that the ‘sexual harassment’ petition by Senator Natasha against Akpabio was dead on arrival.
Addressing the floor of the Senate on Thursday, Opeyemi said: “I listened to the distinguished Senator Natasha on Arise, and I have no regret about what she said about me. She said I called her at exactly 12:13 am.
“I have no regrets. Every move that I made was a characteristic of my person and leadership role in trying to reconcile everybody. I went to the Senate President, and when I got there that night, I said, ‘Sir, tomorrow in the chamber, you’ll have to tender a public apology to distinguished Senator Natasha. I beg you in the name of God. Because her understanding of what you said is different from how you’re interpreting it, by saying she should not speak as if she were in a nightclub.’ And you, Mr. President [addressing Akpabio], explained again that what you meant was that it was only in a nightclub that everybody tries to speak, raising their voice above the loud music, and I said, ‘Sir, I understand you, but tomorrow you’ll have to explain that again to her and the other women and apologize to her.’ And you said to me, ‘Why is it that you always come to me? Everybody is dragging me on social media, have you called Natasha?’
“And I picked up my phone and called Senator Natasha, placing her on speaker. I called her. I didn’t think 12 am was anytime we shouldn’t be awake as Senators. When I called her, the first thing I said was, ‘Distinguished, I’m sorry. Hope I didn’t wake you up?’ And she said, ‘No, sir.’ I said, ‘I only called to ask you a question. My dear sister, what would you gain if the Senate President goes down?’”
On the allegation that he called Natasha at midnight to threaten her, Opeyemi said, “I never said so.”
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