{"id":22809,"date":"2025-03-17T21:15:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T21:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/?p=22809"},"modified":"2025-03-17T21:20:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T21:20:23","slug":"natasha-akpoti-uduaghan-erred-by-internationalizing-domestic-issues-at-ipu-former-napac-chairman-chidolue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/?p=22809","title":{"rendered":"Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Erred by Internationalizing Domestic Issues at IPU \u2013 Former NAPAC Chairman Chidolue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has come under criticism for her recent participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, where she was accused of prioritizing personal grievances over the nation\u2019s collective interests.<\/span><\/p>\n

Engr. Ike Chidolue, former chairman of the <\/span>Nigerian-American Public Affairs Committee (NAPAC USA)<\/span>, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, March 17, 2025, expressed disappointment over Akpoti-Uduaghan\u2019s decision to internationalize internal parliamentary disputes, arguing that such actions diverted the attention of global development partners from Nigeria\u2019s pressing issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to him, \u201c<\/span>Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan\u2019s decision to publicly indict the leadership of Nigeria\u2019s Parliament at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)\u2014without any official delegation or endorsement\u2014transcends mere political grievance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt represents a serious breach of parliamentary ethics, an affront to national sovereignty, and a reckless gamble with Nigeria\u2019s diplomatic credibility. Stripped of emotion, her actions set a dangerous precedent\u2014one where personal grievance is paraded as national advocacy, and national institutions are sacrificed on the altar of personal vindication. The widespread condemnation and accusations of international sabotage are not misplaced\u2014they are justified.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Questioning her presence at the UN gathering despite her suspension, Chidolue said:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAttending the IPU in a self-sponsored capacity, Senator Natasha positioned her private conflict as a national crisis, thereby undermining the dignity and constitutional authority of the Nigerian Senate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a suspended senator, she had no mandate to speak for the National Assembly. International platforms like the IPU recognize only sovereign parliamentary representations\u2014not individuals seeking sympathy. Her act of broadcasting internal disputes on foreign soil is not only unethical; it is a calculated betrayal of legislative cohesion and a misrepresentation of Nigeria\u2019s democratic institutions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Highlighting the senator\u2019s failure to explore established legal and institutional channels, Chidolue remarked:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cParliamentary norms and national loyalty dictate that grievances must be addressed through internal mechanisms. Yet Senator Natasha bypassed every legitimate channel\u2014the Senate Ethics Committee, Nigerian courts where the matter is being tried, her party leadership, and the Women Senators Forum.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, she opted for an international stage, airing unproven, emotionally charged allegations to a global audience, and branding Nigeria\u2019s Senate as lawless and abusive. Such conduct severely erodes public trust, damages Nigeria\u2019s international standing, and feeds toxic narratives about our nation\u2019s governance. This is why many rightly interpret her actions as international sabotage, exchanging national integrity for personal applause.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He further emphasized that the IPU is not a judicial body, making Akpoti-Uduaghan\u2019s move even more inappropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe IPU is not a court\u2014it is a forum for dialogue, not judicial intervention. Dragging a domestic disciplinary matter there, especially during ongoing litigation, was a calculated emotional maneuver\u2014not a pursuit of justice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy indicting the Senate without evidence, while under suspension, Senator Natasha sought to bypass legal scrutiny and provoke public sympathy abroad. This reckless approach opens the door for other lawmakers to blackmail national institutions with global theatrics, weakening Nigeria\u2019s sovereignty and compromising national security through deliberate misrepresentation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chidolue condemned Akpoti-Uduaghan\u2019s actions, describing them as detrimental to national cohesion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJustice must be pursued through truth and process\u2014not performance and sentiment. Senator Natasha did not seek justice; she sought spectacle. Her actions abandoned due process for drama, national loyalty for foreign sympathy, and responsibility for ambition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not advocacy\u2014it is insubordination, subversion, and reputational sabotage. No public officeholder has the right to fracture national trust or misrepresent the nation abroad in pursuit of personal battles. Let this serve as a clear warning: Nigeria\u2019s sovereignty is not a prop for self-serving theatrics, and national institutions must never be leveraged for personal gain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has come under criticism for her recent participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, where she was accused of prioritizing personal grievances over the nation\u2019s collective interests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[10352,10349,10348,10350,10351,10347,10260],"class_list":["post-22809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-chidolue","tag-domestic-issues","tag-erred","tag-ipu","tag-napac-chairman","tag-natasha-akpoti-uduaghan","tag-senator-akpoti-uduaghan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22809"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22809"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22813,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22809\/revisions\/22813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}