Natasha vs Akpabio: Female senators have passed stage of sexual harassment – Ita-Giwa

Former Presidential Adviser and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa has refuted the harassment claim made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, asserting that once women are elected to the Senate, they cannot be harassed.

Akpoti-Uduaghan recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of obstructing her efforts to raise motions regarding the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State, alleging that she declined his advances.

This claim was made during a live television interview on March 4, 2025, on Arise TV.

In response, Ita-Giwa, who represented the Cross-River South Senatorial District, criticized the idea that female lawmakers could be subjected to harassment once they are elected.

She stated that once a woman contests and wins a senatorial seat, she transcends such experiences and is no longer vulnerable.

“Ita-Giwa said, “By the time you contest elections and reach the Senate, you have surpassed that stage of being harassed. You go there to serve, and you are all equal in that realm.”

Ita-Giwa also implied that raising concerns about harassment in the Senate indicates weakness. “It shows weakness; you don’t tolerate it. It cannot occur in the Senate,” she added.

While clarifying that she was not accusing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of falsehood, Ita-Giwa emphasized that women in politics should be regarded as equals to their male counterparts.

She stressed that attaining a senatorial seat is a significant achievement that should empower female senators to resist any form of harassment.

“I am not suggesting that the lady is being untruthful, but when you enter the Senate, you are there as an individual. You are not there as a woman,” Ita-Giwa remarked.

Ita-Giwa further expressed that it is counterproductive for female senators to publicly accuse their male colleagues of harassment, deeming it “the ultimate display of weakness.”

Her remarks have ignited a contentious