Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced plans to file a lawsuit against Joy Nunieh, the former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), following her accusations of sexual harassment.
Akpabio made the announcement on Friday during an event at the National Assembly complex to commemorate International Women’s Day.
He dismissed Nunieh’s claims as unfounded, asserting that she made the allegations after issues arose regarding her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
Nunieh first made the allegations in July 2020, stating that she had slapped Akpabio — then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs — during an alleged assault attempt.“Why did he not tell Nigerians that I slapped him in his guest house at Apo? I am the only Ogoni woman, the only Nigerian woman that has slapped him. I slapped him because of his plan B. Since he couldn’t get me to take that money, he thought that he could come up on me,” she said during an interview on Arise TV.
During Friday’s event, Akpabio indicated he would pursue legal action.“My other sister, the one they sometimes refer to as Joy Nunieh, I will like to mention her name because she will be hearing from my lawyer anytime in the next one week. Crime never dies,” he stated.
Akpabio also claimed that Nunieh’s removal as NDDC acting MD stemmed from doubts about her credentials.“When I received a letter from the late Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff, stating that her certificates were questionable and she did not do National Youth Service, I wrote to the NYSC, and the NYSC responded. So I quickly changed her before it became a scandal.”
He alleged that Nunieh began making public accusations after her dismissal.“As soon as she was changed, hell was let loose. She first said Akpabio wanted me to swear an oath of allegiance in the Villa, and they told her that the way the Villa is wired— The next thing, she came out and said, ‘He tried to touch me, and I slapped him. I am the first woman in the Niger Delta to slap him.’ So Ruben Abati now said, ‘Is it like sexual harassment or rape?’ She said, ‘No, not rape, maybe something like that.’ He said, ‘Sexual harassment?’ and she said, ‘Yes, sexual harassment.’”
This development follows another sexual harassment allegation against Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
