The controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate after her allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio shows no sign of fading
The suspended Kogi lawmaker took her case to the global stage on Tuesday, speaking at the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Meeting at the United Nations in New York.
Her suspension came days after she submitted a petition accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment and other misconduct—claims the Senate President has strongly denied.
At the event, Senator Natasha called for justice, describing her suspension as 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,” she added.
Following her speech, the Kogi Central senator raised concerns about her safety, claiming there were indications that “the powers that be” in Nigeria might attempt to detain her in New York for speaking out.
Last week, the Senate suspended her in a move that has sparked widespread debate. She had earlier submitted a petition accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment, but lawmakers dismissed it before suspending her, even after she filed another petition.
Despite her suspension, Senator Natasha has vowed to continue fighting what she describes as “injustice.” Akpabio, on his part, has denied the allegations and insisted he has never assaulted women.
Their disagreement traces back to when her seat was changed during plenary. It was not the first time they clashed—back in July 2024, Akpabio rebuked her for alleged misconduct, telling her to follow Senate rules and stating that the chamber was “not a nightclub where anybody can talk anyhow.” He later apologized for the remark.
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