By Mo. Hanif
The suspension of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Nigerian Senate has drawn the attention of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), with its President, Tulia Ackson, vowing to take necessary steps after hearing both sides of the story.
Addressing the issue at an IPU session, Ackson confirmed that Senator Natasha's concerns had been duly noted but emphasized the need to give the Senate leadership an opportunity to present its case before any action is taken.
"Having heard her, it would have been an opportunity for all of us to understand more about what she has said. But because we listened only on her side, we will also be giving a chance to the other side, as is the custom for IPU," Ackson stated.
Senator Natasha, who took her case to the global parliamentary body, described her suspension as illegal, linking it to her petition of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. According to her, the punishment was not just personal but a reflection of the struggles faced by women in Nigerian politics.
“I was suspended for six months under stringent conditions: my security detail was withdrawn, all my staff were removed, my salary was cut off, and I was barred from the National Assembly. Even internationally, I was prohibited from introducing myself as a senator,” she lamented.
The senator further highlighted the abysmally low representation of women in the Nigerian Senate—just 2.8%, adding that her case was not just about her but about the larger issue of women's rights in governance.
Her call for an independent investigation into harassment, she noted, has been met with hostility rather than accountability.
The IPU’s intervention signals that the controversy surrounding Natasha’s suspension has gone beyond Nigeria’s borders, setting the stage for what could become a major test of parliamentary ethics, gender equity, and justice in governance.