…Says Natasha Isn’t A Member
Chairman, Senate Inter-parliamentary Committee, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, has declared that the petition filed by the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio would not be attended to by United Nations Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU).
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim on Thursday remarked that the purported petition from the suspended Senator Natasha is “dead on arrival.”
He emphasised that Nigeria, rather than Senator Natasha, is the member of the IPU.
The billionaire business magnate explained that it’s only member state that can filed a petition against another member state before the IPU and not an individual.
According to him, “A petition can only be lodged against another member state by a member state. This implies that the IPU cannot consider petitions from individuals who are not members.
“The suspended Senator Natasha is not a member of the IPU, but Nigeria is.
Additionally, the suspended Senator cannot represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I served as the interim president of the IPU in Geneva in 2023, and I am familiar with how the IPU operates after presiding over its proceedings.”
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim distanced himself from the petition filed by Senator Natasha, saying he didn’t neither approve nor authorise the suspended Senator to attend the IPU sitting on behalf of Nigeria.
“Furthermore, as Chairman of the Inter-parliamentary Committee in the Nigerian Senate, I did not approve or authorise the suspended Senator Natasha to attend the IPU on behalf of Nigeria to the Senate President,” Senator Jimoh Ibrahim said.
It would be recalled shortly after senator Natasha was suspended by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, she disclosed that she had filed a petition before the IPU against Nigerian Senate.
