Sexual Harassment: Senator Natasha Takes Case Against Akpabio to Global Body
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has taken her case against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, along with her suspension from the Senate, to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organization representing national parliaments with 181 member countries.
The Kogi Central lawmaker described her suspension as “illegal” and a stark example of the challenges faced by women in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“I am not here to bring shame to my country; I am here to bring help to the women of our country,” she stated.
Speaking on the circumstances surrounding her suspension, she said:
“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.
“I was suspended for six months under stringent conditions: my security detail was withdrawn, all officials working closely with me as a Senator were removed, my salary was cut off, I was barred from appearing anywhere near the National Assembly, and for six months, I was prohibited from introducing myself as a Senator.
“Whether locally in Nigeria or internationally, that would imply that I am here illegally. But I have nowhere else to turn except to speak before you all, because this situation illustrates the reality of women’s rights in political representation. My suspension is not just about me—women make up only 2.8% of the Senate. Out of 109 senators, only four of us are women.”
She further lamented the Senate’s response to her call for accountability.
“My call for an open investigation into harassment has been met with hostility instead of accountability, in full view of the world. Imagine what ordinary Nigerians face every day,” she added.
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