Breaking: Federal Government Investigates Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Participation in IPU Meeting
The Federal Government has initiated an investigation into how suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central attended the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York without official nomination from Nigeria.
According to a report by Premium Times, sources within the administration of President Bola Tinubu confirmed that both the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are conducting the investigation.
The inquiry aims to determine who facilitated the suspended senator’s accreditation, whether her attendance was part of a scheme to “embarrass the Nigerian government,” and whether she violated any IPU or National Assembly protocols.
The IPU, a global parliamentary organization, has strict rules regarding member participation, allowing only officially nominated delegates to represent their countries. For Nigeria, this delegation includes selected Senators, members of the House of Representatives, and parliamentary officials. Attending as an observer requires explicit approval from both the IPU and the home country’s delegation.
However, Nigerian authorities argue that Akpoti-Uduaghan bypassed the necessary protocols before gaining access to the IPU meeting on March 11. During the meeting, she addressed her suspension from the Nigerian Senate, alleging it was politically motivated and aimed at silencing her for exposing misconduct within the chamber. She also accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
In response, IPU President Tulia Ackson assured that the organization would investigate the matter, while offering the Nigerian Senate an opportunity to present its side of the story.
A member of Nigeria’s official delegation to the IPU, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, contested Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims. Speaking at the UN Secretariat the day after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s address, Ogbara read a letter from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele. The letter clarified that the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan resulted from violations of Senate Standing Rules, not in retaliation for her allegations against Senate President Akpabio.
Bamidele also questioned the legitimacy of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s presence at the IPU meeting.
“Inter-parliamentary organizations like the IPU, the Commonwealth Parliament, the African Union Parliament, and the ECOWAS Parliament operate under strict rules derived from their founding protocols,” Bamidele stated. “That’s why, after listening to our colleague, Senator Natasha, the IPU president had to follow their rules. First, her issue was outside the meeting’s agenda. Second, after hearing her, it was essential to hear the other side because all parties are governed by rules.”
He further emphasized that IPU membership is granted to national parliamentary bodies, not individual members, and that only designated delegates are permitted to attend.
“If, for any reason, someone not authorized to be there managed to gain access, took a seat meant for Nigeria, and spoke only for themselves rather than representing Nigeria, that is a serious issue,” Bamidele added.
Similarly, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Activities, confirmed that Akpoti-Uduaghan had no official authorization to represent Nigeria at the IPU meeting.
“Her attendance was neither approved by the Nigerian Senate nor its Inter-Parliamentary Committee,” Ibrahim said in a statement on Friday.
The investigation by the DSS and NIA follows complaints from the Senate regarding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s participation in the international event. Authorities are focusing on whether she obtained unauthorized credentials, whether external facilitators assisted her, and whether her statements at the IPU misrepresented Nigeria’s official position.
The inquiry will also look into whether any individuals or organizations helped Akpoti-Uduaghan gain access without proper government approval, and whether any breaches of IPU regulations or Nigerian parliamentary protocols occurred.
