Natasha At IPU: New Twist as Tinubu’s Govt Launches Investigation into Kogi Senator’s Participation
- Intelligent agencies are reportedly probing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan's participation at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, USA
- The suspended Kogi Central senator attended the IPU meeting without the approval of the federal government of Nigeria
- The State Security Service (SSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), operatives are probing Akpoti-Uduaghan's participation
CHECK OUT: Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with LEGIT. Enroll Now!
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 7 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international events
FCT, Abuja - Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is being investigated on how she secured access to the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, United States without being nominated by the Nigerian government.
It was gathered that internal and external intelligence agencies in the country are probing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s presence at the IPU meeting.
Source: Twitter
According to Premium Times, the State Security Service (SSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), operatives are probing how Akpoti-Uduaghan was able to attend the IPU meeting without approval.
The Nigerian security agencies are working to find out who facilitated the Kogi Central senator trip and accreditation.
A high-ranking administration official and two top security officials involved in the inquiry said the DSS and NIA officers want to know if interest groups were behind it to embarrass Nigeria, its government and its people.
The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not yet authorised to discuss the matter with the media.
The SSS-NIA collaborative investigation is said to have been triggered by complaints by the Nigerian senate.
Sources said the intelligence agencies are interested in identifying whether Akpoti-Uduaghan obtained unauthorised credentials or if external facilitators aided her participation at the meeting.
The officials also said the investigation would review whether her participation at the meeting breached any IPU regulations or the Nigerian National Assembly protocols.
Nigerian government believes Akpoti-Uduaghan did not follow the required protocols before gaining access to the IPU meeting on 11 March, 2025.
According to the IPU rules, delegates are typically nominated by their countries and their details officially submitted to the international organisation secretariat before meetings.
It is in rare instances, individuals attend as observers, but such attendance requires explicit approval from both the IPU and the attendees’ home countries’ delegation.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng earlier reported that Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government is planning to rest her after returning to the country.
The Kogi Central senator is currently in the United States after participating in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting.
The suspended federal lawmaker, however, did not mention which of the security agencies was plotting her arrest .
Natasha explains how she got access to attend IPU meeting
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan narrated how she was able to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, United States.
The suspended Kogi Central Senator disclosed that she registered online and got a pass to attend the IPU meeting.
Akpoti-Uduaghan explained the reason she was successful with the registration despite not being officially nominated by the Nigerian government.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
Source: Legit.ng
