Jimoh Ibrahim: Natasha Akpoti’s petition at IPU dead on arrival

Jimoh Ibrahim, senator representing Ondo south, says Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi central senator, was not authorised to represent Nigeria at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Akpoti-Uduagahan addressed the IPU in New York on Tuesday, where she claimed that she was suspended by the senate for accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.

The female lawmaker had admitted that she was attending the conference in a personal capacity.

“Five days ago, on the 6th of March 2025, 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,” Akpoti-Uduaghan told the IPU.

In a statement on Thursday, Ibrahim, who is the chairman of the senate inter-parliamentary committee, said the petition against Akpabio at the IPU is “dead on arrival”.

He said Akpoti-Uduagahan’s move was baseless because she is not a member of the IPU.

“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,” he said.

“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.

“Furthermore, as Chairman of the Inter-parliamentary Committee in the Nigerian Senate, I did not approve or authorise the suspended Senator Natasha to attend the IPU on behalf of Nigeria to the Senate President.”