Former presidential media aide, Reno Omokri, has challenged Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to take a lie detector test regarding her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Omokri made the call in a video posted on social media, where he referenced a past incident in which Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused him of similar misconduct.
Omokri claimed that in 2021, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused him of sexually harassing her at a state banquet in Aso Rock on May 6, 2014. However, he provided passport stamps and flight tickets proving he was in the United States at the time, which led her to retract the allegations.
“On Tuesday, October 12, 2021, Natasha Akpoti had a dispute with me, and after that, she went on social media and accused me of sexually harassing her,” Omokri stated. “After the newspapers published my evidence, Natasha deleted all traces of her accusation. She had made a video insulting me, my wife, and my newborn daughter, and she deleted that too.”
Omokri revealed that the matter was settled out of court after intervention from a prominent clergyman and Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan, and that he was paid damages.
Drawing a parallel between her past accusation against him and her current claims against Akpabio, Omokri questioned her credibility. “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior,” he said, insisting that before Nigerians condemn Akpabio, Akpoti-Uduaghan should be compelled to take a lie detector test.
“Come out. Take the test. Be escorted by one senator in your support and another who is objective,” Omokri challenged. “Until she takes a lie detector test, the presumption is that she is acting on her past behavior.”
DAILY MENTOR reports that Omokri’s challenge has added a new dimension to the ongoing controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against Akpabio. The call for a lie detector test underscores the need for transparency and credibility in addressing such serious accusations.
The situation highlights the complexities of handling allegations of misconduct in the public sphere, particularly when past incidents are brought into question. As the debate continues, the focus remains on ensuring that the truth is uncovered and justice is served.