I Was Almost Arrested at The IPU Meeting, I'm Scared of Being Arrested On Returning To Nigeria, Akpoti Expresses Fear Senator Natasha Akpoti has expressed concerns over a plot to arrest her upon arrival to Nigeria following her speech at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York.
Akpoti made headlines all over the country after implicating Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of Sexual Harassment. She further revealed the matter to the Union during her speech.
According to her, she has been inundated with threats from differing quarters since then. She reported that after her speech at the conjunctive, three Nigerian Embassy officials, led by the Chargé D’Affaires, attempted to take her away from the venue. However, she revealed parliamentarians from other countries and security personnel duned her withdrawal.
Akpoti interpreted that she independently registered for the conference as a senator, securing accreditation through IPU’s mailing list from her previous attendance. She was able to secure approval to attend and personally funded her trip without any official nomination from the Nigerian Government.
In her words: “I registered online as a senator. The suspension does not take from my legitimacy as a senator. I attended the same programme concluding year and was already on the mailing list. After getting the pass, I bought my own ticket and funded my trip and participation at the event,”.
Recalls that Akpoti was suspended for 6 months after she submitted a petition to the Senate against Akpabio for Sexual Harassment.
Akpoti’s Complaint to the IPU
Speaking at the occasion, the Kogi Senator reported; “On March 6, I was suspended as a Senator llegally 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“I was suspended for six months under stringent conditions: my security detail was withdrawn, all officials working closely with me as a Senator were taken away, my salary was crack off, I was barred from appearing anywhere near the National Assembly,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 actuality 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.”
In response, the President of the IPU, Tulia Ackson, promised to ensure that necessary steps are taken regarding the suspension of Akpoti none the less that the Nigerian Senate would further be given an opportunity to present its side of the story.
Category: World-News
Tag: I Was Almost Arrested at The IPU Meeting Im Scared of Being Arrested On Returning To Nigeria Akpoti Expresses Fear
Written by Author
Published 3/16/2025