The camp of Senate President Godswill Akpabio has firmly rejected the authority of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to compel him to appear before its panel over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the National Assembly.
Akpabio’s media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, stated this in an exclusive interview with *The PUNCH* on Wednesday, March 13, 2025.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is serving a six-month suspension, had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of power. She took her case to the IPU, a United Nations agency, on Tuesday, seeking international intervention.
The IPU, through its President Tulia Ackson, acknowledged her concerns but emphasized the need for procedural fairness, stating it would hear from Akpabio before taking a position.
However, Eyiboh dismissed the IPU’s involvement, calling it an internal parliamentary matter. “They don’t have the authority to do that. It is an internal affair of the National Assembly. Akpabio can’t be forced to honour an IPU invitation,” he said. He further accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of contempt, stating, “What she is doing is contemptuous since she was said to have obtained a court order. That means she has no regard for the rule of law.”
The Senate has denied allegations that the suspension was linked to sexual harassment claims, insisting it was due to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s “gross misconduct” and repeated violations of parliamentary rules. Senate Leader Bamidele Opeyemi stated, “Let it be unequivocally stated that Senator Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent acts of misconduct, blatant disregard for the provisions of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended), and gross indiscipline—nothing more, nothing less.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, was suspended on March 6 following a confrontation with Akpabio over a new seating arrangement, which she claimed was designed to undermine her. She has since lamented the withdrawal of her security, salary cuts, and the six-month ban from the National Assembly.
The Senate has urged media organizations to avoid spreading “falsehoods” and reiterated its commitment to upholding discipline and parliamentary ethics. “No senator—regardless of status, gender, or political affiliation—is above the rules of the Senate,” Opeyemi added.