Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for allegedly violating Senate rules just days after she submitted a petition accusing Senate President Akpabio of sexual assault and other misconduct—claims that Akpabio has strongly denied.
Speaking at the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan called for justice and urged global democratic institutions to intervene.
She described her suspension as unjust, stating, “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 to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition for a fair, transparent investigation. But unfortunately, I was silenced and suspended.”
The senator emphasized that her suspension highlights broader issues concerning the representation of women in Nigerian politics. “That means I’m here illegally, but I have no other place to go but to speak to you. 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,” she added.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s international appeal is expected to draw further attention to the issue, potentially increasing pressure on Nigerian political institutions to address the allegations and the broader concerns about women’s participation in goverSenator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Takes Suspension Case to Global Stage
The controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and her subsequent suspension from the Senate shows no signs of fading. The suspended Kogi senator has now taken her case to an international audience.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for allegedly violating Senate rules just days after she submitted a petition accusing Senate President Akpabio of sexual assault and other misconduct—claims that Akpabio has strongly denied.
Speaking at the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan called for justice and urged global democratic institutions to intervene.
She described her suspension as unjust, stating, “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 to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition for a fair, transparent investigation. But unfortunately, I was silenced and suspended.”
The senator emphasized that her suspension highlights broader issues concerning the representation of women in Nigerian politics. “That means I’m here illegally, but I have no other place to go but to speak to you. 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,” she added.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s international appeal is expected to draw further attention to the issue, potentially increasing pressure on Nigerian political institutions to address the allegations and the broader concerns about women’s participation in governance.
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