Suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has taken her case with the Red Chamber to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting (IPU), a global body of legislators with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Contrary to her claims, the Senate has reiterated that her suspension was not based on her allegation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio but the result of its investigation which found her guilty of misconducts against Standing Rules, among others.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was seen yesterday in a viral video inside a parliamentary chamber 9of the global legislative house narrating her ordeal amid tears.
She described her suspension as an assault on democracy, saying it depicted the plight of women in Nigeria.
The Kogi Central lawmaker alleged that the punishment was visited on her for daring to report a case of sexual harassment against Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said: “I am not here to bring shame to our country. I am here to seek help for the women of Nigeria. Again, my name is Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“Five days ago, on March 6, 2025, I was suspended as a senator. I was suspended 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 Petitions 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 officials vehicles and other items that were given to me as a senator.
“My salaries have been cut off. I must not appear anywhere near the National Assembly. And for six months, I’m forbidden to introduce myself or present myself as a senator locally in Nigeria or internationally.
“I’m here because I have no other place to go but to come here. This is a bigger picture …of what happens to women in Nigeria. 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.
“Women make up 3.6 per cent of political offices in Nigeria, and in the Senate, it’s just four women out of 109. Now that I have been suspended, it is now three women among 108.
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