The controversy surrounding the allegations by Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and her suspension from the Senate has taken a new dimension.
The suspended Kogi Central Senator on Tuesday took her case to a global stage at the Women in Parliament session held during the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting (IPU) at the United Nations in New York, where she sought justice and the intervention of international democratic institutions.
The lawmaker, while addressing the session, described her suspension from the Senate as “illegal” and called for global support against what she termed an injustice.
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She also expressed concerns about her personal safety following the speech, claiming there are signs she may be held against her will in New York for speaking out.
According to her, this could be orchestrated by “the powers that be” from Nigeria.
Tribune Online reports that Senator Natasha was recently suspended after the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct submitted a report recommending disciplinary action against her.
Following the report, the Senate imposed a six-month suspension on the Kogi Central senator over her shouting match with the Senate President.
She said, “I come with a heavy heart from Nigeria. First, I would like to apologise to Honourable Kafilat Ogbara. I am not here to bring shame to our country; I am here to seek help for the women of Nigeria.
“My name is Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udughan. Five days ago, on the 6th of March 2025, I was suspended as a senator illegally because I submitted a petition of sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godwil Akpabio. I thought by submitting the petition both of us would submit ourselves to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition for a fair and transparent investigation, but unfortunately, I was silenced and suspended for six months, among many other stringent conditions, such as taking away my security, taking away all the official vehicles, and other items handed over to me as a senator.
“My salary will be cut off, and I must not appear anywhere near the National Assembly, and for six months I am not to introduce myself or present myself as senator, locally in Nigeria or internationally. That means I am here illegally. And I have no other place to go but to come here and speak to you, my women. Because this is a bigger picture. It depicts the crisis of women’s political representation.
“My suspension is not just about me. Women make up 3.6 percent of political offices, and the Senate is just 2.8 percent. We have 109, and only 4 of us are women. So right now, it is 108 with only 3 women. This is a clear case of political victimization and punishment for speaking out against impunity, corruption, and gender-based violence.
“The United Nations Declaration 48104 declares sexual harassment as a form of gender violence. The Senate’s actions are an assault on democracy. I was elected by my constituency to represent them, yet a few powerful men have decided to silence their voices by suspending me for six months.
“My calls for an open and transparent investigation into harassment allegations have been met with hostility instead of accountability. If a female senator can be treated this way in the full view of the world, imagine what ordinary Nigerian women go through every day in workplaces and universities.”
See the video below:
https://youtu.be/TBgnby0wGJI?si=4mK5H7REZ2_u0px3
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