How I Got Access To Attend IPU Meeting In New York – Natasha
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has given her version of events regarding her attendance at the IPU meeting in New York.
She stated that she registered online as a sitting senator and was able to secure accreditation due to her existing presence on the IPU’s mailing list from previous participation.
She also clarified that she personally financed her trip after receiving the necessary approval to attend.
“I registered online as a senator. The suspension does not remove my legitimacy as a senator. I registered online and got a pass. I attended the same programme last year and was already on the mailing list. After I got a pass, I bought my own ticket and funded my trip and participation at the event,” she told PREMIUM TIMES.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s presence at the recent IPU meeting was not unprecedented. She had previously been part of Nigeria’s official delegation to a similar IPU event in Geneva, alongside Senate President Akpabio and other Nigerian lawmakers.
Akpabio used that occasion to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and humanitarian aid.
To explain her attendance at the latest IPU gathering, Akpoti-Uduaghan cited her previous participation in a Commission on the Status of Women meeting and her prior IPU experience in Geneva.
She also emphasized that IPU events are accessible to individuals and civil society organizations, not solely government representatives.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan traveled to New York using her regular Nigerian passport and visa.
She maintains that her Senate suspension, which she considers unlawful, does not invalidate her status as an elected senator.
Even though her suspension forbids her from presenting herself as a senator, she asserted that she attended the IPU meeting in her official capacity and spoke as a legitimate representative of her constituents.
During the interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also alleged that plans are underway to arrest her upon her return to Nigeria.
“… I’m aware there are plans underway to have me arrested as soon as I arrive Abuja,” she said.
“The Senate President Akpabio sent three staff headed by the Chargè D’Affairs of the Nigerian embassy in New York to evacuate me from the United Nations premises right after my speech. I was rescued by parliamentarians from other countries and the security.”
The Nigerian government has launched an investigation into Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attendance at the IPU meeting.
This stems from the government’s belief that she bypassed established diplomatic procedures.
At the meeting on March 11th, she spoke about her suspension from the Senate, claiming it was a politically motivated attempt to silence her for exposing wrongdoing within the legislature.
She also publicly accused the Senate President of sexual harassment.
