The lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the Nigerian Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has taken her suspension from the Senate and her harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in United Nations, in New York.
The Kogi Central lawmaker described her suspension as “illegal”.
She said the circumstances she faces reflect the challenges women face in Nigerian politics.
Speaking emotionally before the global parliamentary body, she stated that she was suspended after speaking out about alleged sexual harassment by Akpabio.
Last week, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, barring her from office and cutting off her allowances and security.
On Wednesday, the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed her petition, saying it did not follow proper procedures.
Her suspension was, however, linked to an earlier dispute over changes to her Senate seating arrangement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only four female senators in the 109-member chamber, first made the allegation in a television interview on February 28, claiming that Akpabio made unwanted sexual advances toward her in 2023.
