Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, former Cross-River South Senatorial District lawmaker, has dismissed allegations of sexual harassment made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
She said once elected into the Senate, female lawmakers are beyond phases of vulnerability for harassment.
On Arise TV on Tuesday, Ita-Giwa said raising such allegations shows personal weakness.
She said senators go into politics to serve their constituencies as equals not to represent their gender.
The controversy started when Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio deliberately stalled her motions on Ajaokuta Steel Company after she turned down his sexual advances.
Ita-Giwa countered by saying electoral victory ends any susceptibility to harassment. She said senators are individuals and their roles are defined by merit not by gender.
She added that the act of making a sexual harassment claim especially at that level of politics shows weakness not strength.
Her comments have sparked debate among political observers and commentators with many asking what it portends for gender politics in Nigeria.
Ita-Giwa, who was a presidential adviser, also said allegations of misconduct have no place in the Senate.
She reiterated that the legislative arena is a merit-based environment where all senators, male or female, must uphold high standards of integrity and resilience.
The drama escalated when Akpoti-Uduaghan discovered her Senate seat had been reassigned and a plenary session was disrupted.
In an Arise TV interview later, she said the issue started in December 2023 when she visited Akpabio’s home for his birthday.
She said while at the residence, Akpabio made advances, and her husband cautioned her not to be left alone with him.
Akpabio has not responded to the allegations but his wife Ekaette has condemned the allegations and filed a defamation suit against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
This crisis has brought to the fore the power and gender dynamics in the Nigerian Senate.