The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated an investigation into how suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central gained access to the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, despite not being officially nominated by Nigeria.
According to a report from Premium Times, sources within President Bola Tinubu’s administration confirmed that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are conducting the probe. These agencies aim to identify who facilitated the suspended lawmaker’s accreditation and whether her participation was orchestrated by interest groups to “embarrass the Nigerian government.” They are also examining if she violated any IPU or National Assembly protocols.
The IPU, a global parliamentary body, has stringent regulations regarding member participation, allowing only officially nominated delegates to attend meetings and represent their countries. Nigeria’s delegation typically includes selected Senators, members of the House of Representatives, and parliamentary officials. Attendance as an observer requires explicit approval from both the IPU and the home country’s delegation.
Nigerian authorities contend that Akpoti-Uduaghan breached the necessary protocols to gain entry to the IPU meeting on March 11. During the event, she addressed her recent suspension from the Nigerian Senate, alleging it was politically motivated and intended to silence her for exposing misconduct in the legislative chamber. She also raised allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In response, IPU President Tulia Ackson stated that the parliamentary body would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter while allowing the Nigerian Senate to present its perspective.
As part of Nigeria’s official delegation to the IPU meeting, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims. Speaking at the UN Secretariat the day after the senator’s address, Mrs. Ogbara read a letter from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, asserting that Natasha’s suspension was unrelated to any violations of Senate Standing Rules and not retaliation for her allegations against Senate President Akpabio.
Bamidele also questioned the legitimacy of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s presence at the meeting, stating, “Outside of Nigeria, or outside of this Senate, our inter-parliamentary engagements are governed by rules and regulations established by these organizations. The IPU president, after listening to Senator Natasha, adhered to their rules, noting that her issues fell outside the meeting’s agenda.”
He emphasized that IPU membership is based on national parliamentary organizations, not individual members, and only designated delegates can officially attend. “If one of our colleagues, who was not supposed to be there, managed to attend, sat in Nigeria’s designated seat, and spoke for herself rather than for Nigeria, that’s a separate issue,” Bamidele added.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Activities, also confirmed that Akpoti-Uduaghan had no official authorization to represent Nigeria at the IPU meeting.
