Suspended Kogi Senator, Natasha Akpoti- Uduaghan on Tuesday took her case to a global stage — the United Nations Inter Parliamentary Union.
The Senate suspended the lawmaker for violation of the Senate’s rules days after she submitted a petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alleging sexual harassment, claims the Senate President has strongly refuted.
But at the Women in Parliament session held at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting (IPU) at the United Nations in New York, Senator Natasha is seeking for justice and the intervention of global democratic institutions.
Senator Natasha described as injustice, the six months suspension slammed on her. Senator Natasha, calling it illegal.
“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 told the gathering.
“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,” the Kogi lawmaker added.
Last week, the Senate suspended the lawmaker in a move that has continued to generate debates across the country.
She had initially submitted a petition to the Senate accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment. But the lawmakers threw it out before suspending her even after submitting another petition.
Senator Natasha, however, vowed to continue the fight against “injustice”.
On his own part, Akpabio has strongly denied the accusations and maintained he has never assaulted women.
Natasha’s face off with the Senate president began on February 20, 2025, after her seat was changed during plenary.
Back in July 2024, Akpabio had while trying to correct her for misconduct told her to follow the rules and that the Senate is not a nightclub where anybody can talk anyhow. The Akwa Ibom lawmaker, however, later apologised to her for the off-colour remark which was interpreted in many quarters as disrespectful and sexist.
