The Chairman of the Senate Interparliamentary Committee, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, has said Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-uduaghan, wasted her time by going to the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) to make a complaint against the Senate and its President.
Naijaonpoint reported that at the female session of the United Nations’ IPU forum, Senator Natasha accused the Senate and its president, Godswill Akpabio, of suspending her because she complained of sexual harassment against the President.
In a statement on Thursday, the Ondo South Senator said Natasha was not a member of IPU, was not representing Nigeria at the IPU, and therefore lacked the right to bring a complaint to the union.
The former Ondo governorship aspirant added that as former interim president of the IPU, individuals cannot bring a petition to the union.
He said: “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!
“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 Interparliamentary 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.“