Akpoti-Uduaghan Takes Sexual Harassment Fight to UN

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has brought her fight against alleged victimization by Senate President Godswill Akpabio to the global stage. In an emotional address at the United Nations during the Women in Parliament session, Akpoti-Uduaghan presented her case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), detailing her controversial six-month suspension from the Nigerian Senate and allegations of sexual harassment.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, speaking passionately before a global audience, called for justice and urged the intervention of international democratic institutions. She described her suspension as “unlawful” and an unjust act that silences her voice and undermines her political standing. “This suspension is not only a personal injustice but a blow to the principles of fairness and democracy,” she declared.

The senator’s suspension, announced by the Nigerian Senate in March, followed recommendations from the Senate’s Committee on Ethics, Rules, and Code of Conduct. As part of the punitive measures, she has been denied a salary, prohibited from entering the National Assembly premises, and stripped of the right to refer to herself as a senator during the suspension.

In her speech, Akpoti-Uduaghan also raised concerns for her personal safety, alleging that “the powers that be” in Nigeria could attempt to detain her in New York due to her decision to speak out at the international event. She expressed a deep sense of vulnerability but vowed to continue fighting for justice, regardless of the risks.