Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has alleged that her suspension from the Nigerian Senate was a targeted effort to silence her.
In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, she claimed she was being victimized.
“I am being victimised. My suspension is a way to silence me,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan shared details of an encounter she had with Senate President Godswill Akpabio at his home. She described how he gave her a tour while her husband walked behind them.
“He then squeezed my hands in a very suggestive way. We, women, know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way,” she recalled.
She also mentioned another incident in the Senate chamber when she had forgotten to wear her wedding ring. According to her, Akpabio made a remark in front of other senators that she found inappropriate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for what was officially described as “gross misconduct.”
The suspension came after a disagreement with Akpabio regarding seating arrangements in the chamber. However, she believes the real reason was to suppress her voice.
In response to her claims, Senate Deputy Chief Whip Onyekachi Nwaebonyi denied that Akpabio had ever made inappropriate advances toward her. He also rejected her accusation that the Senate was trying to silence her.
“Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true,” Nwaebonyi said.
Despite the suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan has continued to raise her concerns internationally. She recently took her case to a United Nations forum, calling for global intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.
