‘Sen Natasha Has Gone To DW, She Has Gone To Sky And BBC, What Does She Intends To Achieve?— Okolugbo

In an interview on the Mic On Podcast, Kenny Okolugbo, a Consultant on Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Senate President, addressed concerns regarding the growing international controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. 

When asked whether the negative global reputation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio was a cause for concern, Okolugbo expressed deep frustration over Senator Natasha’s efforts to take the matter to international media and organizations.

He emphasized that Natasha’s outreach to major news outlets, including Deutsche Welle (DW), BBC, and Sky News, as well as her threat to escalate the issue to CNN, was detrimental to Nigeria’s image. Okolugbo argued that while the “other side” of the story would soon be revealed, matters such as this should not be exposed on the global stage. Additionally, he criticized her participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), claiming that she attended illegally and misrepresented her role, as Nigeria’s official representation at the IPU is determined by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House.

“It bothers us so much because Senator Natasha has gone to DW, she’s gone to the BBC, she’s gone to Sky, and she even has threatened she would go on CNN. I don’t know what she intends to achieve because these organizations always get the other side of the story, which will be coming out next week. But beyond that, we shouldn’t wash our dirty linen in public.”

“When Senator Natasha went to the IPU, she told them that she was there illegally and confessed that she was not supposed to be there. IPU only recognizes country membership. 

Nigeria is a member of the IPU, and the Senate President, being the Chairman of the National Assembly, along with the Deputy Speaker, who was nominated by the Speaker, are the official representatives. He didn’t ask her to go there, but you saw the story she took there. She went there saying she was there on behalf of Nigerian women and that she was suspended because she made allegations of sexual harassment against the Senate President.”