By Deborah Coker
Abuja, March 17, 2025 Former chairman of Nigerian-American Public Affairs Committee, U.S (NAPAC USA), Mr Ike Chidolue, says Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan erred by taking Nigeria’s domestic matter to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, Chidolue said that by taking Nigeria’s domestic matters to the IPU, Akpoti-Uduaghan was not seeking justice but spectacle.
“Justice must be pursued through truth and process, not performance and sentiment.
“Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan did not seek justice; she sought spectacle. Her actions abandoned due process for drama, national loyalty for foreign sympathy, and responsibility for ambition,” he said.
He said it was unfortunate that the suspended senator chose to prioritise and scandalise the country in a manner that could distract international development partners from the issues of urgent concern in Nigeria.
According to him, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s decision to publicly indict the leadership of the Nigeria’s Parliament at 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 the 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,” he argued.
Querying her presence at the UN gathering in spite of her suspension, the former NAPAC USA chairman, said that by attending the IPU in a self-sponsored capacity, the lawmaker positioned her private conflict as a national crisis.
“As a suspended senator she had no mandate to speak for the National Assembly.
“International platforms like the IPU recognise 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,” he said.
He said that parliamentary norms and national loyalty dictated that grievances should be addressed through internal mechanisms.
“Yet she 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,” he said.
Chidolue further said that the IPU was not a court but a forum for dialogue.
According to him, dragging a domestic disciplinary matter there, especially during ongoing litigation, was a calculated emotional manoeuvre and not a pursuit of justice.
“By indicting the Senate without evidence, while under suspension, Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan, 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,” he said.
(NAN)