The controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and her subsequent suspension from the Senate shows no sign of fading from the headlines.
On Tuesday, the suspended Kogi Senator took her case to the global stage, raising her concerns at the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting at the United Nations in New York.
The Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for breaching Senate rules, just days after she submitted a petition accusing Akpabio of sexual assault, among other allegations—claims which the Senate President has firmly denied.
At the UN event, Akpoti-Uduaghan called for justice, urging global democratic institutions to intervene. She labeled her suspension as illegal and described the actions taken against her as part of a broader systemic issue.
“I was suspended illegally because I submitted a petition accusing the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment,” she told the audience. “I believed 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. Instead, I was silenced and suspended.”
She further emphasized that her suspension goes beyond her individual case, highlighting its significance in the context of women’s political representation in Nigeria. “This is not just about me. It’s about the systemic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria,” she added.
Following her speech, Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed concerns over her security, suggesting that there may be attempts to prevent her from returning to Nigeria due to her outspoken stance at the global event. “There are indications that I may be detained in New York for speaking up on this issue by ‘the powers that be’ from Nigeria,” she claimed.
The Senate’s decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan has sparked widespread debate across the country. The Kogi Senator had initially submitted a petition accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment, but her complaints were dismissed before she was suspended, even after submitting a second petition.
Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to continue fighting against what she considers an injustice. In response, Akpabio has denied the allegations and maintained that he has never assaulted women.
The tension between the two began on February 20, 2025, when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was moved during a Senate plenary. This was not the first altercation between the two. In July 2024, Akpabio reprimanded her for misconduct, telling her to follow the Senate’s rules, and likened the chamber to a nightclub where disorderly behavior would not be tolerated. Akpabio later apologized for the remark.
