Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Chairman of the Senate Interparliamentary Committee, has dismissed the petition filed by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Ibrahim described her move as baseless and stated that the IPU cannot act on her complaint.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Ibrahim said Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio holds no weight since she is not a recognized member of the IPU. He noted that membership in the IPU is granted to Nigeria as a country, not to individuals.
“A petition can only be lodged against another member state by a member state. This implies that the IPU cannot consider petitions from individuals who are not members. The suspended Senator Natasha is not a member of the IPU, but Nigeria is!” Ibrahim said.
The controversy began after Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6. Her suspension followed a dispute over a new seating arrangement, which she claimed was meant to sideline her. The situation escalated further when she accused Akpabio of politically victimizing her after she allegedly rejected his advances.
Seeking international support, Akpoti-Uduaghan took her case to the Women in Parliament session during the IPU meeting at the United Nations in New York. There, she called for global attention on what she described as unfair treatment by the Nigerian Senate leadership.
However, Ibrahim insists that her efforts are futile. He explained that as Chairman of the Senate Interparliamentary Committee, he did not authorize Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attendance at the IPU meeting on behalf of Nigeria.
“Additionally, the suspended Senator cannot represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I served as the interim president of the IPU in Geneva in 2023, and I am familiar with how the IPU operates after presiding over its proceedings,” he added.
