By Olaitan Ibrahim
Nigerian lawmakers have suspended a senator for six months, after she submitted a petition alleging she had been sexually harassed by the senate president. Earlier on the same day, Thursday, Nigeria’s top legislative body commemorated International Women’s Day on with a firm commitment to advancing legislation aimed at eliminating obstacles to women’s progress across the country.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan first made her sexual harassment accusations against one of the country’s top politicians, Godswill Akpabio in an interview last Friday.
After dismissing her petition on procedural grounds, the ethics committee recommended Uduaghan’s suspension, saying she had brought ridicule to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
Some senators argued that her suspension be cut to three months but a majority voted to stick with the six months suspension recommended by the ethics committee.
Women’s rights activist Hadiza Ado told the BBC that Senator Uduaghan’s suspension was a “sad day for Nigerian women”.
Uduaghan afterwards described her suspension as “an injustice that will not be sustained”.
She vowed to continue her “pursuit for justice” over her treatment.
The accusations have dominated discussions across Nigeria since she first made them nearly a week ago.
Many highly placed people and groups have called for a transparent investigation.
On Wednesday, two groups of protesters gathered at the assembly ground in the capital, Abuja – one backing Akpabio and the other in support of his colleague, chanting ”Akpabio must go.”
Mrs Ado, who founded the Women and Children Initiative, said: “We’ve been following events at the Assembly keenly and hoping that investigation into Natasha’s allegations would follow.”
“All we can say is that today is a sad day for Nigerian women fighting for emancipation. Out of 109 senators, only four are women and one is now suspended,” she said.
Many women on social media also expressed their anger over the suspension, with some calling it “oppression.”
During her suspension, Uduaghan will be barred from the National Assembly premises and her office will be locked., Earlier, in a related development, Nigeria’s premier legislative body, the Senate, pledged to enforce 35% affirmative action for women in the National Assembly and governance processes, aligning with Nigeria’s National Gender Policy (NGP) and the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio made this commitment at a three-day programme held at the Old Senate Chamber of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day. The event, themed “Economic and Political Inclusion: Walk the Talk,” sought to rally collective action toward gender parity.
The gathering was attended by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jubrin, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, and Minister for Women Affairs Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
The programme was facilitated by the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Public Hearing and Events, Ms. Munis Abisola, and the Director, Administration & Protocol, Office of the Senate Leader, Ms. Tabitha I. Sallah.
Addressing the audience, Akpabio assured that lawmakers would work to eliminate barriers hindering women’s socio-economic advancement and gender equality.
“We are discussing how women will have a solid presence not only in the National Assembly but also in the country. We will do all we can to promote gender equality, even if it means amending or tinkering with the 1999 Constitution,” Akpabio stated.
He further underscored the contributions of women to national development, saying: “Credible evidence has shown that women are better managers the world over. Sometimes, they work harder than men. We must go back to ensuring women contribute to our collective progress and prosperity in all spheres of life