Former Senator for the Cross River South Senatorial District of Cross River State, Florence Ita-Giwa, has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding allegations of sexual harassment in the Nigerian Senate, arguing that women in the legislature should present themselves as strong and unapproachable to avoid such situations.
Addressing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims of sexual harassment, Ita-Giwa expressed disappointment in how the issue was raised. She argued that speaking out about such allegations in the Senate portrays weakness.
“At that stage in the Senate, if you come and say that somebody is sexually harassing you, it’s a weakness. You make yourself unapproachable. You don’t let anybody take you around and show you things… You don’t allow it.”
“It is the worst sign of weakness on a woman’s part. You understand? For you to come out and accuse a man or accuse a man of making passes at that level,” she added.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Ita-Giwa stated that she does not believe in affirmative action and has never identified herself as a woman in politics but rather as a person. She said,
“I presented myself as a person. Once you go to that arena, you present yourself as a person… You have passed that stage of your life of being sexually harassed. Yes, by the time you go there and pass, you have passed that. So you are all equal in that Senate. Yes, you are all equal, It is out of order. Again, it shows weakness, you don’t allow it.”
“It cannot happen in the senate, im not saying the lady is lying but again, when you get to senate, you are there as a person, you are not there as a man or woman. It doesn’t matter what you are carrying between you.”
She also criticized the informal way some Senators are addressed, particularly the use of first names, saying it undermines the dignity of the institution. Furthermore, she dismissed claims that women in the Senate are sidelined, insisting that all elected officials are equals and must assert their authority.
Ita-Giwa maintained that women who have fought their way into the Senate must exude confidence and refuse to be intimidated.
“By the time you get there, you have as much authority as the other men have,” she said, adding that there are official channels to handle grievances rather than making public allegations.
While she acknowledged Akpoti’s intelligence and resilience in winning her seat, Ita-Giwa insisted that women in the Senate should focus on governance rather than claims of harassment.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
