Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has shared how she managed to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, even though she was not officially nominated by the Nigerian government.
She explained that she registered for the meeting online as a senator and received her accreditation because she was already on IPU’s mailing list from her previous attendance. Akpoti-Uduaghan also confirmed that she personally funded her trip after getting approval to attend the global parliamentary event.
“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.
Further clarifying her access to the meeting, Akpoti-Uduaghan mentioned that her earlier participation in a Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) event contributed to her accreditation. She noted that IPU events are open not only to government officials but also to individuals and civil society groups.
Despite currently serving a six-month suspension from the Nigerian Senate, she described the suspension as illegal and insisted that it did not affect her legitimacy as an elected senator.
Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that she attended the IPU meeting in her official capacity and spoke as a legitimate representative of her constituents.
