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A former member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Cletus Obun, on Thursday, stated that future candidates for political positions such as governors, councilors, or senators may need to undergo mental stability tests.
Obun’s statement on Arise TV on Thursday comes in the wake of recent political drama and allegations involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended for six months following her accusations of sexual harassment against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
According to Obun, the gender discourse surrounding the incident has raised serious concerns about the competence and credibility of women in politics.
He said, “The women folk and indeed public officers may have in future to be subjected to mental stability test in order to be qualified to be a governor, councilor or a senator.
“Otherwise, you’re going to get this and de-market, especially at a time when we are asking for gender inclusion and equality.
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“We are this point facing a situation in which a gender issue is being trivialised, demonised and overdramatised on the public floor of the highest legislative house in this country.
“She is demarketing women by making it look as if they are not competent to be in such positions by the kind of allegations and frivolous things she has said.”
He further expressed support for the action taken by the Senate in suspending Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that it was a necessary response to prevent the issue from spiraling into further distractions and trivial matters.
Obun said, “I think this is a fitting closure to this drama that was started from nowhere to this level of absurdity and I want to commend the senate for doing this and taking this action so swiftly and not allowing it to soar into another level of triviality and diversion.
“At a time our country is on trial over economic and social upheavals and security issues, we are talking about sitting arrangements about those who are brought into the Nigerian Senate.”
The former legislator also stated that men go through harassment but is never reported due to the societal stigma surrounding men showing weakness.
“I heard one former senator who made a point that what men go through as harassment is never reported because it would be seen as weakness in men. Most men endure harassment without making noise about it,” he said.
“I’ve been a victim of sexual harassment by married women as a legislator. I was sexually harassed on several occasions, I escaped but I can’t report the reason being that it is not seen of a man. Men should also not keep quiet,” he added.
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