The Nigerian Senate has dismissed allegations by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who claimed there were plans to arrest her upon her return from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) event in New York.
In a statement issued on Monday, Senate Spokesman Adeyemi Adaramodu refuted the claims, stating that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Senate have no interest in engaging with her on the matter.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had alleged that Senate President Akpabio sent staff members, including the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian embassy in New York, to remove her from the United Nations premises after her speech. She further claimed that she was rescued by foreign parliamentarians and security personnel.
However, Adaramodu dismissed her accusations, saying:
"She’s searching for a lost content creation needle in a haystack. The Senate has no reason to engage with her anymore."
He also suggested that the senator was simply facing the consequences of her own actions at the IPU.
"If she is haunted by her unguarded remarks against Nigeria at the IPU, she should not drag the Senate into it. We are not her accomplices in this sordid voyage."
The senator attended the IPU event despite her suspension from the Senate, claiming she had registered online. Speaking in an interview on Sunday, she insisted that her participation was legitimate and accused the Senate leadership of attempting to silence her.
She reiterated her fear of being arrested upon arrival in Abuja, stating that she was aware of plans to detain her.
The Senate has maintained that it has no interest in pursuing any action against Akpoti-Uduaghan, dismissing her claims as an attempt to seek attention.
More details to follow…
