NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN, the embattled Kogi senator representing the Central region of the state, has reported Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio to Inter-Parliamentary Union, a global organization representing national parliaments with 181 member countries, following her suspension from the senate house over sexual allegations.
Recall that Natasha was suspended for six-months by the Senate Ethics Committee and Senate president over a petition submitted by Natasha.
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The lawmaker had described her suspension as illegal, stating that the” the injustice would not be sustained” before leaving the plenary meeting.
“I am not here to bring shame to my country; I am here to bring help to the women of our country,” she stated.
Speaking on the circumstances surrounding her suspension, she said:
“On March 6, 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 believed that by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself, and both of us would submit to a fair and transparent investigation by the committee on ethics. Unfortunately, I was silenced and suspended.
“I was suspended for six months under stringent conditions: my security detail was withdrawn, all officials working closely with me as a Senator were removed, my salary was cut off, I was barred from appearing anywhere near the National Assembly, and for six months, I was prohibited from introducing myself as a Senator.
“Whether locally in Nigeria or internationally, that would imply that I am here illegally. But I have nowhere else to turn except to speak before you all, because this situation illustrates the reality of women’s rights in political representation. My suspension is not just about me—women make up only 2.8% of the Senate. Out of 109 senators, only four of us are women.”
She further lamented the Senate’s response to her call for accountability.
“My call for an open investigation into harassment has been met with hostility instead of accountability, in full view of the world. Imagine what ordinary Nigerians face every day,” she added.
