Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the National Assembly, has voiced strong dissatisfaction over what she described as her marginalisation within Senate proceedings and committee engagements.
Speaking during the budget defence session of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, the lawmaker openly accused the committee’s leadership of sidelining her from certain official activities. She specifically raised concerns about the manner in which arrangements were handled for Nigeria’s participation in the upcoming United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) event scheduled to take place in New York.
According to the senator, she received notification of the international engagement at about 1:00 p.m. the previous day and was instructed to submit her passport to facilitate travel documentation. She said she complied within three hours of receiving the message. However, she later received communication from the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs indicating that she would no longer be part of the delegation, reportedly because her response was considered late.
The development, she argued, reflects deeper issues of coordination and inclusion among the female lawmakers in the Senate. Natasha highlighted the already limited number of women in the upper legislative chamber and stressed that such exclusion undermines collective efforts to advance gender-focused advocacy at both national and global levels.
Expressing her frustration, she maintained that participation in a high-profile international forum dedicated to women’s rights and development should not be clouded by internal misunderstandings or selective treatment.
“I was only informed about the event yesterday afternoon and responded promptly by submitting my passport. Yet, I was later told my response came too late and that I would not be attending,” she said.
The senator emphasised that fairness and unity are essential, particularly when addressing issues that directly concern women’s representation and empowerment. She insisted that no female lawmaker should be treated differently in matters that aim to promote gender equality and strengthen Nigeria’s voice in global conversations on women’s advancement.
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