Key Points

• Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan took her suspension case to the UN and IPU.
• She alleges that her suspension for accusing Senate President Akpabio of harassment is unjust.
• Natasha seeks global intervention to address systemic exclusion of women in politics.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended Kogi Central lawmaker, has taken her suspension case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting at the United Nations in New York.

During the Women in Parliament Session at the IPU meeting, Natasha urged global democratic institutions to help address what she described as an unlawful suspension from the Nigerian Senate. She claimed she faced punishment for opposing injustice.

Natasha also expressed fears for her safety, saying she might be detained in New York for raising the issue.

In a video shared by Vanguard, Natasha struggled to hold back tears as she narrated her ordeal.

She explained that her suspension came after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

The suspension has ignited intense debate in Nigeria, with many questioning whether it was fair.

Facing harsh punishment

Natasha said she filed a petition accusing Akpabio of harassment, expecting the issue to be handled through a fair investigation.

“I believed that submitting the petition would lead him to step aside and allow for an unbiased investigation. Instead, I was silenced and suspended,” she said.

She described the harsh conditions of her suspension. She has been barred from the National Assembly for six months, stripped of her security detail and official vehicles, and cut off from her salary.

Natasha also stated that she is prohibited from identifying as a senator during the suspension period.

“That means I am here illegally, but I have no choice but to speak up for Nigerian women on this global stage,” she said.

“My suspension is an attempt to force women out of political leadership in Nigeria.”

Exposing gender discrimination in politics

Natasha said her suspension is not just about her personal experience.

“This case exposes the deliberate attempt to shut women out of political decisions in Nigeria. It is about punishing women for confronting abuse and corruption.”

She added that the Senate’s decision silences the voices of those she was elected to represent.

“If a female senator can be treated this way, imagine what women in workplaces and schools across Nigeria go through every day,” she said.

By taking her case to the UN and IPU, Natasha aims to draw attention to the political barriers women face in Nigeria.

She is calling for international action to end political victimization and ensure fairness for women in leadership.