‘If What I Have Said Is False, Let Her Sue Me’

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has dismissed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent denial of ever accusing him of sexual harassment, describing it as a “clumsy afterthought” unworthy of public sympathy.

Naija News reports that Omokri’s response came after the suspended senator, who represents Kogi Central, retracted a previous statement alleging that he made sexual advances towards her at a state banquet in 2014.

In a new interview published on Saturday by an online news platform, Akpoti-Uduaghan denied making any allegations of sexual harassment against Omokri, insisting: “I have never accused anyone of sexual harassment apart from Senator Akpabio.”

Reacting on Sunday, Omokri insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan had indeed accused him publicly in 2021 and later deleted her posts only after he presented irrefutable proof disproving her claims.

“Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, out of the blue and with no apparent provocation, accused me of sexually harassing her on October 12, 2021, via a Facebook post. Two days later, she repeated the allegation in a video,” Omokri said in a statement.

He added that her claims were widely published by newspapers and blogs, and he kept screenshots and video clips before they were taken down.

Omokri recalled that she alleged the incident occurred at a May 6, 2014 banquet in honour of visiting Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. But according to Omokri, he was not even in Nigeria at the time.

“I published my British Airways ticket and passport stamps proving I was in the United States on the date she claimed the harassment occurred,” he stated.
“After this, she deleted her Facebook post and video.”

Omokri further disclosed that he was ready to sue Akpoti-Uduaghan when a prominent Christian cleric and Mr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (who later married Natasha) intervened.

“They pleaded with me to let the matter go and offered a large financial settlement,” he said, adding that there is both electronic and physical documentation to back up his claim.

According to Omokri, the money was paid two days after the mediation call, and the settlement was referred to as an “offering” to avoid litigation.

He stressed that he had never awarded or influenced any contract for personal associates or partners.

“Let her publish any proof if she has it. I will testify to all these under oath — in Nigeria or anywhere else,” he said.
“If what I have said is false, let her sue me. I keep meticulous records, and I have everything that transpired.”

Recalls that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was recently suspended by the Senate for six months after accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment — an allegation that sparked uproar within the chamber and led to legal battles.

The Senate ruled that her actions breached parliamentary rules and requested that she tender a formal apology before reinstatement.