Beyond the Senate Chambers

As of 2024, statistics show that an average of 3.9% of women in Nigeria are participating or have participated in the politics and governance of the country. This percentage is staggeringly low and the leading cause of this situation is the fear of discrimination experienced by women of their safety while in office. The ongoing case of Senator Natasha very well reflects this status quo.

On Tuesday, 11th March, 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan lodged a complaint at the United Nations Inter-Disciplinary Committee (IPU) against the Senate President (SP) on grounds of sexual harassment,

“I was suspended illegally because I submitted a petition of sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. I thought that by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself and both of us would submit ourselves to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges amd Public Petition for a fair and transparent investigation …”

Sadly, the inhumane response received was an offhanded statement made by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, that

“It was never an issue before us that any member of us was sexually harassed and we hold on to that point. We need to put the events of the last two weeks behind us and concentrate.”

More sadly is the process through which the decision to suspend Senator Natasha was reached, following her charge of insurbordination with the Senate Code of Conduct. Violating the Natural Justice principle of Nemo Judex Incausa Sua (One must not be a judge in his own case), the SP presided over the session.

This action at the Senate has sparked diverse views from the citizenry. While some persons believe that the Senator deserved to be suspended, others believe that the SP was indeed discriminative.

At the centre of this outcome of events lies concerns on the facilitation of a safe environment for women. If a Senator elected by her people to represent them at the National Assembly, who was properly sworn into office can bring claims of this magnitude and have them trivialized, what then is the fate of the common Nigerian woman? How would Chioma, a bank worker being victimized by her boss at a bank speak up? How would Helen, an undergraduate student at a National Institution admit to being sexually harassed and threatened by her lecturer? What is the essence of the inclusion of Section 42 in the Nigerian Constitution if women would constantly be discriminated against and picked on for no just reason other than their gender?

The hope in sustaining social justice can only be realized by affirmative action and while the very fabric weaving the entirety of this nation is constantly lumped by gender discriminations and biases, we can only hope that this case is handled appropriately and an impartial investigation properly conducted so justice is served and a precedence is set, not just in the Senate, but at work places, in the family, at the salons, in institutions, and indeed in every corner of the country to create an enabling environment where women can thrive without fear of discrimination.