There was tension at the Senate on Thursday as the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accused the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Ireti Kingibe, of sidelining her from key committee activities.
Speaking during the budget defence session of the Committee on Women Affairs, Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed frustration over what she described as a lack of inclusion and coordination among female senators, particularly concerning participation in a major international women’s event.
She raised concerns about the limited number of women in the Senate and questioned the circumstances surrounding an invitation to attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women event in New York.
According to the senator, she was notified of the invitation and asked to submit her passport for processing. She said she complied within three hours of receiving the information but was later informed by officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs that she would no longer be attending due to an alleged late response.
“I was only informed about the event yesterday at 1:00 pm, and I immediately responded with my passport. Despite my prompt response, I was subsequently told that I responded too late and would not be attending,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that she should not be treated differently from other female lawmakers, especially regarding engagements aimed at advancing the interests of women.
