The controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and her subsequent suspension from the Senate continues to make headlines.
On Tuesday, the suspended Kogi Senator took her case to an international audience at the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Meeting at the United Nations in New York.
The Senate had suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating its rules just days after she submitted a petition accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment and other misconduct—allegations the Senate President has strongly denied.
At the UN event, the lawmaker called for justice, describing her suspension as illegal and part of a broader issue of gender discrimination in Nigerian politics.
“I was suspended illegally because I submitted a petition for sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. I thought that by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself and both of us would submit ourselves to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition for a fair, transparent investigation. But unfortunately, I was silenced and I was suspended,” she said.
She added, “That means I’m here illegally, but I have no other place to go but to come here and speak to you because this is a bigger picture. This is a bigger picture. It depicts the crisis of women’s political representation. My suspension is not just about me. It’s about the systemic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria.”
Following her speech, Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed concerns for her safety, alleging that influential figures from Nigeria might attempt to detain her in New York for speaking out.
Her suspension last week has continued to spark nationwide debate. The Senate had rejected her initial petition against Akpabio before suspending her, even after she submitted a fresh one.
Despite the setback, Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to keep fighting against what she describes as injustice. Meanwhile, Akpabio has refuted the allegations, maintaining that he has never assaulted any woman.
Her clash with the Senate President escalated after her seat was moved during a plenary session. This was not the first time both lawmakers had clashed. In July 2024, Akpabio, while addressing her over alleged misconduct, remarked that the Senate was “not a nightclub where anybody can talk anyhow.” He later apologized for the comment.
