Senator Natasha Akpoti Raises Alarm Over Plot to Arrest Her on Return to Nigeria

Senator Natasha Akpoti fears arrest upon returning to Nigeria after accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment at an IPU meeting.

She claims her suspension was retaliation and highlights the struggle for women’s representation in Nigerian politics.

Senator Natasha Akpoti has voiced concerns over an alleged plan to arrest her upon her return to Nigeria following her speech at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York.

VerseNews understands that Akpoti made national headlines after publicly accusing Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment. She also reported the matter to the IPU during her speech, a move that has reportedly led to threats from various quarters.

According to Akpoti, shortly after delivering her speech, three Nigerian Embassy officials, led by the Chargé D’Affaires, attempted to remove her from the venue. However, she said their efforts were thwarted by parliamentarians from other countries and security personnel.

She clarified that her attendance at the IPU meeting was independent of the Nigerian government. “I registered online as a senator. The suspension does not remove my legitimacy as a senator. I attended the same programme last year and was already on the mailing list. After getting a pass, I bought my own ticket and funded my trip and participation at the event,” Akpoti stated.

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Suspension and Complaint to the IPU

VerseNews ecalls that Akpoti was suspended for six months after submitting a petition to the Senate against Akpabio for sexual harassment.

At the IPU meeting, Akpoti detailed her ordeal:

“On March 6, I was suspended as a Senator illegally 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.”

She further revealed the strict conditions of her suspension:

“I was suspended for six months under stringent conditions: my security detail was withdrawn, all officials working closely with me as a Senator were removed, my salary was cut off, I was barred from appearing anywhere near the National Assembly, and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 reality 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 to her complaint, the President of the IPU, Tulia Ackson, assured Akpoti that necessary steps would be taken regarding her suspension. However, she also emphasized that the Nigerian Senate would be given the opportunity to present its side of the story.

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