Former Presidential Adviser and veteran Senator Florence Ita-Giwa has sparked controversy with her strong remarks about sexual harassment allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Ita-Giwa categorically rejected the notion that female senators could be victims of sexual harassment, describing such claims as a demonstration of weakness.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously alleged on a live television program that Senate President Akpabio deliberately obstructed her attempts to raise motions about the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State after she rejected his sexual advances. Responding to these allegations, Ita-Giwa offered a provocative perspective.
“Once you contest and win an election to the Senate, you have transcended the stage of being sexually harassed,” she asserted.
“You are there to serve, and everyone is equal in that space.”
The former Cross-River South Senatorial District representative emphasized that female senators should not portray themselves as vulnerable.
“If you reach the political level of being a senator and claim sexual harassment, it reveals a fundamental weakness,” she stated.
While stopping short of directly calling Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan a liar, Ita-Giwa made it clear that she does not support the allegations.
“At this level of politics, accusing a man of making inappropriate advances is the worst sign of weakness for a woman,” she concluded.
