A fresh political storm is brewing in Nigeria as suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has raised alarm over an alleged plot to arrest her upon her return from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) event in New York. She claims that Senate President Godswill Akpabio orchestrated an attempt to have her forcibly removed from the United Nations premises.
In a dramatic revelation, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated in an interview that she narrowly escaped what she described as a “coordinated effort” to detain her in New York. According to her, three Nigerian embassy officials, allegedly acting on Akpabio’s instructions, attempted to evacuate her but were thwarted by foreign parliamentarians and UN security personnel.
“I was rescued by parliamentarians from other countries and security,” she declared.
However, the Nigerian Senate has vehemently denied her claims, dismissing them as mere theatrics. Senate spokesman Adeyemi Adaramodu ridiculed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations, accusing her of seeking attention.
“She’s looking for her lost content creation needle in a haystack,” Adaramodu quipped in a fiery statement, insisting that the Senate and Akpabio had “no reason to engage with her anymore.”
The suspended senator’s attendance at the IPU event has been a subject of controversy, as she reportedly participated without securing official approval. Her critics argue that her presence at the event was illegitimate and politically motivated.
Adaramodu further suggested that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s own actions at the IPU might be haunting her, hinting at unguarded statements she allegedly made against Nigeria during the event.
“If she’s being haunted by her unguarded vituperations against Nigeria at the IPU in faraway New York, she should spare the Senate, which is not ready to be her accomplice in such a sordid voyage,” he stated.
As tensions escalate, questions remain: Is Akpoti-Uduaghan a victim of political persecution, or is this a case of calculated sensationalism?
