IPU Cannot Entertain Natasha’s Petition Against Akpabio, Says Ondo South Senator

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Chairman of the Senate Interparliamentary Committee, has dismissed the petition reportedly submitted by suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York, calling it “dead on arrival.”

Senator Ibrahim, who represents Ondo South, made this statement in a press release issued to journalists in Abuja on Friday.

To recap, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of obstructing her legislative efforts in retaliation for rejecting his alleged sexual advances. This conflict led to her suspension from the Senate after a confrontation with Akpabio over seating arrangements in the Red Chamber.

Following her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan participated in an event at the IPU, where she spoke at the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting at the United Nations in New York. During her address, she called for international intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.

However, Senator Ibrahim clarified that Nigeria, not individual lawmakers, is a member of the IPU. He explained that only member-states can file petitions against one another, making it impossible for the suspended Senator’s petition to be entertained by the global parliamentary body.

“The suspended Senator Natasha is not a member of the IPU, but Nigeria is,” he explained. “She also cannot represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the IPU.”

Senator Ibrahim, who served as interim president of the IPU in Geneva in 2023, further emphasized his familiarity with the workings of the organization. As the current chairman of the Interparliamentary Committee in the Nigerian Senate, he confirmed that he did not approve or authorize Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to attend the IPU on behalf of Nigeria.