Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central has taken her case of suspension by the Nigerian Senate to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting (IPU), a global body of legislators with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, alleging sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, the Senate has said 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.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a viral video inside a parliamentary chamber of the global legislative house narrated her ordeal amid tears, describing her suspension as an assault on democracy and a showcase of the plight of women in Nigeria.
Stating that 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.
“This is a clear case of political victimisation and punishment for speaking out against sexual harassment, corruption and gender-based violence. The United Nations declares sexual harassment as a form of gender violence.
“The Senate’s action is an assault on democracy. I was elected by my constituents to represent them, yet a few powerful men have largely decided to silence their voices by suspending me for six months.
“My call for an open and transparent investigation into sexual 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 women will go through every day, in the work places, in universities…”
At home, a pro-Akpabio group protested at the National Assembly, accusing the Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of attempting to discredit Akpabio and destabilise the National Assembly.
The protesters, under the auspices of Women for Good Governance, gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly, calling for additional sanctions against the Kogi Central Senator if she persists in mobilising her supporters against the Senate and Senate President.
Accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan of collaborating with certain individuals to soil Akpabio’s image and destabilise the National Assembly, some of the placards carried various inscriptions such as: “Senate Committee on Local Content is not our birthright but a privilege,” “Nigerian women for sustainable democracy support Senator Akpabio,” “Nigerian women for good governance ask Senator Natasha to stop embarrassing Nigerian women,” and “Nigerians are proud of Akpabio.”
Secretary of the United Women for Good Governance, Enakeme Ojineme, who led the protest, accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of political manipulation, describing her sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President as part of a politically-driven agenda to undermine the integrity of the Senate President.
“We, in the United Women for Good Governance, have discovered that this false allegation of sexual harassment has a very strong political undertone heavily propelled in collaboration with Senator Natasha by those who are interested in the office of the Senate President at all cost,” she said.
According to her, any effort to undermine the Senate through “unconventional, unlawful, and demonic means” is tantamount to treason.
