Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, has escalated her ongoing dispute with Godswill Akpabio, Senate President to the international stage.
Akpoti-Uduaghan brought her case to the attention of global lawmakers during the Women in Parliament session at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting at the United Nations in New York.
She is seeking justice and the intervention of international democratic bodies, describing her suspension from the Senate as unlawful. The senator also expressed concerns that she might be detained by “the powers that be” in Nigeria for speaking out at the UN.
In a statement, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of office, prompting a bitter rift. Last Thursday, the Senate suspended the Kogi Central senator following her allegations, which stemmed from a seating dispute on February 20, 2025.
Akpabio has denied the accusations made by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Kogi lawmaker also filed a N100 billion defamation suit against Akpabio, while the Senate referred her to its disciplinary committee. Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, secured a court order from the Federal High Court in Abuja, which temporarily restrained the Senate committee from proceeding with any disciplinary action against her. The case is now scheduled for hearing on March 10, 2025.
On March 5, 2025, the Senate committee dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment and abuse of office petition against Akpabio, citing procedural errors and legal limitations. Despite this, the senator re-submitted her petition the following day.
![IPU: We must hear from Akpabio before acting on Natasha's claim [VIDEO]](https://witnessngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Senator-Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan-and-Senator-Godswill-Akpabio-1-332x270.jpeg)
![IPU: We must hear from Akpabio before acting on Natasha's claim [VIDEO]](https://witnessngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Senator-Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan-and-Senator-Godswill-Akpabio-1-688x387.jpeg)