The Senate has clarified to Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was not suspended over her s*xual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Gatekeepers News reports that the suspended senator representing Kogi Central reported her s*xual harassment case against Akpabio to IPU on Tuesday.
She said, “Five days ago, on the 6th of March 2025, 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 thought by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself and both of us would submit
ourselves to the committee of ethics, privileges and public petitions for a fair and transparent investigation.”
“But unfortunately, I was silenced, and I was suspended for six months among many other stringent conditions, such as taking away my security, taking away all the official vehicles and other items that were handed over to me as a senator.”
In response, IPU said it would contact the Senate President to head both sides of the story before taking any necessary steps.
The senate tendered its response to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s submission in a letter read at
IPU assembly by Kafilat Ogbara, a member of the House of Representatives.
The letter signed by Opeyemi Bamidele, leader of the senate reads, “Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for gross misconduct and unruly behaviour and not as a result of allegation of s*xual harassment or assault.”
“The authority of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria firmly rebukes the deliberate misinformation and false narratives being circulated by certain media organisations regarding the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.”
“Let it be unequivocally stated that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent acts of misconduct, blatant disregard for the provisions of the Senate standing orders 2023 as amended and gross indiscipline. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“If Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had strictly followed our guiding principles, the senate would have treated her petition based on merits in line with its practice, but she never obeyed the established practices of the institution where she was serving.”
