Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has come under fire for her recent appearance at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, where she was accused of placing personal grievances above Nigeria’s collective interests.
Engr. Ike Chidolue, former chairman of the Nigerian-American Public Affairs Committee (NAPAC USA), criticised Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, 17 March 2025, describing her approach as a distraction that undermined Nigeria’s credibility on the global stage.
Condemning her decision to publicly criticise Nigeria’s parliamentary leadership at the IPU without an official mandate, Chidolue said: “Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s decision to publicly indict the leadership of Nigeria’s Parliament at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)—without any official delegation or endorsement—transcends mere political grievance.
“It represents a serious breach of parliamentary ethics, an affront to national sovereignty, and a reckless gamble with Nigeria’s diplomatic credibility. Stripped of emotion, her actions set a dangerous precedent—one where personal grievance is paraded as national advocacy, and national institutions are sacrificed on the altar of personal vindication. The widespread condemnation and accusations of international sabotage are not misplaced—they are justified.”
Chidolue further questioned Akpoti-Uduaghan’s presence at the UN event, given her current suspension from the Senate: “Attending the IPU in a self-sponsored capacity, Senator Natasha positioned her private conflict as a national crisis, thereby undermining the dignity and constitutional authority of the Nigerian Senate.
“As a suspended Senator, she had no mandate to speak for the National Assembly. International platforms like the IPU recognize only sovereign parliamentary representations—not individuals seeking sympathy. Her act of broadcasting internal disputes on foreign soil is not only unethical; it is a calculated betrayal of legislative cohesion and a misrepresentation of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.”
Highlighting her failure to exhaust domestic legal and parliamentary channels, Chidolue expressed dismay over her decision to air internal matters on an international platform: “Parliamentary norms and national loyalty dictate that grievances must be addressed through internal mechanisms. Yet Senator Natasha bypassed every legitimate channel—the Senate Ethics Committee, Nigerian courts where the matter is being tried, her party leadership, and the Women Senators Forum.
“Instead, she opted for an international stage, airing unproven, emotionally charged allegations to a global audience, and branding Nigeria’s Senate as lawless and abusive. Such conduct severely erodes public trust, damages Nigeria’s international standing, and feeds toxic narratives about our nation’s governance. This is why many rightly interpret her actions as international sabotage, exchanging national integrity for personal applause.”
Emphasising that the IPU is not a judicial body, Chidolue criticised Akpoti-Uduaghan’s approach as an attempt to manipulate public sentiment:
“The IPU is not a court—it is a forum for dialogue, not judicial intervention. Dragging a domestic disciplinary matter there, especially during ongoing litigation, was a calculated emotional maneuver—not a pursuit of justice.
“By indicting the Senate without evidence, while under suspension, Senator Natasha sought to bypass legal scrutiny and provoke public sympathy abroad. This reckless approach opens the door for other lawmakers to blackmail national institutions with global theatrics, weakening Nigeria’s sovereignty and compromising national security through deliberate misrepresentation.”
In his concluding remarks, Chidolue maintained that public officials must prioritise national integrity over personal ambitions: “Justice must be pursued through truth and process—not performance and sentiment. Senator Natasha did not seek justice; she sought spectacle. Her actions abandoned due process for drama, national loyalty for foreign sympathy, and responsibility for ambition.
“This is not advocacy—it is insubordination, subversion, and reputational sabotage. No public officeholder has the right to fracture national trust or misrepresent the nation abroad in pursuit of personal battles. Let this serve as a clear warning: Nigeria’s sovereignty is not a prop for self-serving theatrics, and national institutions must never be leveraged for personal gain.”
