Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has taken her dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio to the United Nations, seeking international intervention over what she describes as political victimization.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended on March 6 following a clash with Akpabio over a new Senate seating arrangement, escalated the matter on Tuesday during the Women in Parliament session at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting in New York. Addressing global delegates, she called for accountability, alleging that her suspension was retaliation for rejecting Akpabio’s alleged sexual advances.
“The world must not stay silent as democracy and women’s rights are rolled back in Nigeria,” she said, urging human rights groups and democratic institutions to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.
Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that her six-month suspension was illegal and vowed not to back down. “Powerful men have silenced my constituents by unilaterally suspending me. But I will resist political intimidation,” she declared.
Despite pressure from colleagues to apologize, the senator remains defiant. “I will serve the six-month suspension, and on my first day back, I will re-present my petition on sexual harassment. I will continue until a fair and transparent investigation is conducted,” she stated.
She pledged to collaborate with women’s groups, civil society organizations, and legal experts to challenge her suspension. “This fight is bigger than me. No other woman in public office should ever be silenced again,” she concluded.
