The Federal Government has stepped in to address the crisis in the National Assembly following the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.
News About Nigeria reports that the intervention comes after the 10th Senate handed her a six-month suspension, sparking strong reactions from women’s groups and activists.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim, announced the government’s involvement on Friday, stating that efforts were being made to mediate between all parties involved.
She assured that discussions were ongoing to resolve the matter and prevent the exclusion of women from leadership positions.
She said: “It’s an unfortunate incident that should not happen. In the last Assembly, we had nine senators who were women.
“We don’t want to lose any woman member in the Senate or decrease in number.
“We’re going to be brokering peace. We’ll engage all the stakeholders to ensure that they temper justice with mercy.”
“I was at the National Assembly yesterday, at the Senate where we marked the International Women’s Day.
“The last thing the Senate president said was that ‘we’re open to broker peace.’
“So, we’re going to be the intermediary between the two parties to see that we broker peace; for peace to reign, and then we’ll continue to sensitise everyone so that we learn to work better together as women and men.”
The controversy began when Natasha alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had sexually harassed her.
She raised the issue on February 28, but the Senate dismissed her claims, arguing that the proper procedures were not followed.
The Senate Ethics Committee then recommended her suspension, accusing her of bringing the institution into disrepute.
Meanwhile, an online petition demanding Akpabio’s resignation to allow for an independent investigation has gained traction.
Launched by the Purple Women Foundation, the petition has gathered over 13,000 signatures.
The group is calling for a transparent probe into the allegations, stressing the need for justice and accountability.
