
Suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has taken her case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting at the United Nations in New York, seeking global intervention.
Speaking at the Women in Parliament session, she condemned her suspension from the Nigerian Senate as unlawful and urged international democratic institutions to act.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, suspended after a heated exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, claimed she was being victimized for opposing injustice. She also raised concerns about her security, alleging possible attempts to detain her in New York for speaking out.
In a video obtained by *Vanguard*, she was seen in tears while making her case.
Her suspension followed accusations that Akpabio sexually harassed her, an allegation that has fueled intense debate in Nigeria over the fairness of the Senate’s action.
By bringing her case to the UN and IPU, Akpoti-Uduaghan seeks international backing against what she describes as political oppression, adding further tension to Nigeria’s political scene.
Her words: “I come with a heavy heart from Nigeria. But first, I’d like to apologise to honourable… I’m not here to bring shame to our country. I’m here to seek help for the women of Nigeria.
“Five days ago, on the 6th of March, 2025, I was suspended as a senator illegally because I submitted a petition of 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 and transparent investigation, but unfortunately, I was silenced and I was suspended.
“I was suspended for six months amongst many other stringent conditions such as taking away my security, taking away all the official vehicles and other items that were handed over to me as a senator. My salaries will be cut off. I must not appear anywhere near the National Assembly, and for six months, I’m not to introduce or present myself as a senator locally in Nigeria or internationally.
“That means I’m here illegally, but I have no other place to go but to come here and speak to you women because this is a bigger picture. It depicts the crisis of women in political representation. My suspension is not just about me—it’s about the systemic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria. This is a clear case of political victimisation, punishment for speaking out against impunity, corruption, and gender-based violence.
“The Senate’s actions are an assault on democracy. I was elected by my constituents to represent them, yet a few powerful men have unilaterally decided to silence their voices by suspending me for six months. My call for an open and transparent investigation into harassment allegations has been met with hostility instead of accountability.
“If a female senator can be treated this way in the full view of the world, imagine what ordinary Nigerian women go through every day in workplaces, universities.”