The ‘unofficial’ attendance of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently being investigated by the Federal Government.
Premium Times reports that government sources have stated that the Kogi Central Senator attended the IPU meeting, where she tabled her suspension by the Senate, without the required nomination process.
The sources also stated that key government agencies like the Department of State Service (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) were conducting the investigation.
It was gathered that the investigation aims to determine the process of her gaining access to the meeting and who facilitated Akpoti-Uduaghan’s presence at the event in the past week.
Describing her attendance at the meeting as an embarrassment to the government, the agencies have been saddled with the responsibility of determining whether the lawmaker violated any National Assembly or IPU’s protocols.
It was gathered that the push for an investigation into the matter follows criticisms from the Senate over the appearance made by Akpoti-Uduaghan at the IPU on March 11.
Recall that while speaking at the IPU, the Kogi lawmaker told the union members and officials that she was being intimidated in her home country for rejecting sexual advances from the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
She also stated that following her suspension, her appearance at the IPU for the New York meeting was illegal.
However, the sources said the Federal Government is focused on finding out if the lawmaker obtained the required credentials to attend the meeting.
He also noted that the FG was interested to know if she was aided by external forces and whether her presence or statements at the meeting misrepresented the interest of Nigeria.
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