The Nigerian Senate has refuted claims by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that she faces a planned arrest upon her return from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) event in New York. Senate Spokesman, Adeyemi Adaramodu, in a statement on Monday, dismissed the allegations, stating that the Senate and its President, Godswill Akpabio, have no reason to engage with her on the matter.
“She’s looking for her lost content creation needle in a haystack,” Adaramodu said, downplaying Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims. “The Senate President and the Nigerian Senate have no reason to join issues with her anymore.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan had alleged that Senate President Akpabio sent staff to “evacuate” her from the United Nations premises during the IPU event and claimed that plans were underway to arrest her upon her arrival in Abuja. She also defended her participation in the IPU event, asserting that it was legitimate despite her suspension from the Senate.
In response, Adaramodu suggested that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s troubles stemmed from her own actions at the IPU.
“If she’s being haunted by her unguarded vituperations against Nigeria at the IPU in faraway New York, she should spare the Senate, which is not ready to be her accomplice in such a sordid voyage,” he stated.
The suspended senator had revealed in an interview with an online newspaper that she registered for the IPU meeting online and attended despite not securing official approval. She claimed that she was “rescued” by parliamentarians from other countries and security personnel after Nigerian embassy officials attempted to remove her from the UN premises.
The Senate’s dismissal of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations highlights the ongoing tension between the suspended senator and the legislative body. The controversy raises questions about the limits of parliamentary privileges and the handling of internal disputes within the Senate.
