KEY POINTS

• Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan alleges a plot to arrest her upon her return to Nigeria after speaking at the IPU meeting, where she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
• Nigerian security agencies are investigating how she attended the IPU meeting without official nomination, while the Senate maintains her suspension was for misconduct, not her harassment claims.
• The IPU has pledged to address her suspension, and a Senate ethics committee is set to hear testimonies from both Akpabio and Natasha regarding the allegations.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has raised alarm over an alleged plot to arrest her upon her return to Nigeria following her controversial speech at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York.

Senator Natasha, who recently made headlines for accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, claims her outspokenness has triggered threats and intimidation from Nigerian authorities.

According to PREMIUM TIMES, Natasha revealed that her speech at the IPU event, where she highlighted the sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio, has led to a backlash.

She stated that three Nigerian Embassy officials, led by the Chargé D’Affaires, attempted to remove her from the United Nations venue during the conference.

However, intervention by parliamentarians from other countries and event security personnel prevented her expulsion.

“I registered online as a senator. The suspension does not remove my legitimacy as a senator. I attended the s ame programme last year and was already on the mailing list. After getting a pass, I bought my own ticket and funded my trip and participation at the event,” she explained.

Natasha clarified that she independently registered for the conference as a senator, securing accreditation through IPU’s mailing list from her previous attendance. She also emphasized that she personally funded her trip after receiving approval to participate.

Natasha: A history of controversy and suspension

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attendance at the IPU meeting comes amidst a six-month suspension from the Nigerian Senate for alleged misconduct.

The suspension, which prohibits her from identifying as a senator domestically or internationally, has been described by Natasha as “illegal.” She insists that her participation in the IPU meeting was in her official capacity as a representative of her constituents.

“I am not here to bring shame to my country; I am here to bring help to the women of our country,” she declared during her speech at the IPU.

The senator’s suspension stems from her petition against Senate President Akpabio, accusing him of sexual harassment. She alleged that during a visit to his residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in December 2023, Akpabio made inappropriate advances toward her.

“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,” she stated.