How UN Inter-Parliamentary Union fit chook mouth for Senator Natasha Akpoti and Nigerian Senate mata

Di Senator wey dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District for di National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, don carry her case go meet di UN Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for New York afta di Senate suspend her.

She urge di Union make dem help so dem no go silence her voice.

Dis na afta di Senate sama Akpoti-Uduaghan wit six months suspension, stop her salaries and allowances, and remove her security details, afta dem find her guilty of disobeying di Senate standing rules.

Wetin start dis gbas-gbos between Senate president Akpabio and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan na wen she discover say dem don change her seat for di Senate chamber witout her knowledge.

On 5th March, 2025 wen di plenary resume, new drama start again as Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan submit petition for di floor of di Senate.

Na for di same floor of di Senate Akpabio deny di sexual allegations wey dey hang around im neck bifor.

Senate President Akpabio say di mata dey court and add say di allegations no be true as im neva harass any woman at any time and not even Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan wey dey accuse am.

Wetin be IPU and why dem create am?

Di UN Inter-Parliamentary Union na di global organisation of national parliaments.

Dem dey promote democratic governance, institutions, and values, and dem dey work wit parliaments and parliamentarians to respond to di needs and aspirations of di pipo.

Dem dey fight for peace, democracy, human rights, gender equality, youth empowerment, climate action, and sustainable development through political dialogue, cooperation, and parliamentary action.

Di Inter-Parliamentary Union start for 1889, for one time wey goments and parliaments neva get way to work togeda internationally.

Na two men for 19th century - one Englishman, William Randal Cremer, and one Frenchman, Frédéric Passy - lay di foundation wey don turn di big global organisation wey di world get today.

Dem create di IPU to dey solve international disputes through peaceful arbitration.

'We go listen to di oda side' - President of IPU

Di president of di UN Inter-Parliamentary Union, Tulia Ackson, say since dem don hear from Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, dem go also try hear from di Nigerian Senate.

"As institution, as IPU, we go take di concerns wey she don raise - not only taking her side, but we go also give chance to listen to di oda side as na IPU custom. And afta we listen to di oda side, we go take necessary step," Ackson tok.

According to di constitutional law of IPU, di IPU as international organisation of parliaments dey focus on parliamentary dimension and dialogue to maintain world peace and security.

Dem fit intervene for any kasala wey dey happun evri wia in di world.

Di Administrative Machinery of IPUgive dem di power to settle any wahala between states, disarmament, and kasala between staff members and di organisation.

Di internal affairs of di IPU dey governed by im statutes. Based on dis, from di point of view of oda states or from di context of relations with di host state, among odas, di IPU dey operate with im own legal and administrative system wey different from any state own.

Article 1 of di Charter of di UN tok say:

"We di pipo for di UN determine say:

(a) Make we save di generations wey go come from di wahala of war, wey don bring plenty sorrow to mankind two times for our lifetime;

(b) Make we reaffirm our belief in fundamental human rights, di dignity and worth of di human pesin, di equal rights of men and women and of nations weda dem big or small;

(c) Make we establish conditions wey go fit maintain justice and respect for di obligations wey dey treaties and oda sources for international law, and make we promote social progress and beta standards for life wit big freedom."

Di above affirmation na di same purposes wey di UN express for Article 1 of di Charter of di UN wey tok say:

To maintain di international peace and security, and to achieve am, make dem take effective collective measures to prevent and remove any kasala to peace, and to stop acts of aggression or oda breaches of peace, and to bring about, by peaceful means and in line with justice and international law, di adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations wey fit lead to breach of peace.

Di provision for di above article and di oda objectives wey dem put inside di UN Charter na di same objectives wey di IPU dey pursue and dey try to support.

Nigeria Senate don reply IPU

Di Nigeria Senate don respond to Senator Natasha complaint wey she carry go IPU. Di response na through one letter wey Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, write.

Na Chairperson for di House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Honourable Kafilat Ogbara, read di letter wen she attend as Nigeria representative.

Di Senate letter tok say, "Senator Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan suspension na sake of gross misconduct and unruly behaviour, and no be becos of any sexual harassment or assault allegation.

Di Senate of di Federal Republic of Nigeria don deny di deliberate misinformation and false narrative wey some media organisations dey carry about di six months suspension of Senator Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan.

"Make e clear say Uduaghan suspension na only sake of her constant misconduct and di way she no dey obey Senate Standing Orders."

Honourable Ogbara still tok say make dem do proper investigation into di allegation wey Senator Natasha make against di Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

She tok say dem follow due process and observe all di necessary Senate rules bifor dem suspend Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Last week, di Senate suspend di lawmaker, and since den, di mata neva stop to cause debate for di whole kontri.