Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has described her suspension from the Nigerian Senate as an attempt to silence her. “I am being victimised. My suspension is a way to silence me,” she told the BBC on Tuesday.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her, recounting an incident at his home. “We were at his country home. He was taking me around his house. My husband was walking behind us. He held my hand. He then squeezed my hands in a very suggestive way. We, women, know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way.”

She also recalled another incident in the Senate chamber, saying, “There was a time when I rushed to work and forgot to wear my ring. There were about five senators there. He said, ‘Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring, is this an invitation to treat?’ You know, statements like this.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 for “gross misconduct” following a disagreement with Akpabio over seating arrangements.

Reacting to her claims, Senate Deputy Chief Whip Onyekachi Nwaebonyi denied that Akpabio ever made advances toward her and dismissed her allegation of being silenced. “Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true,” he said.

Escalating her dispute, Akpoti-Uduaghan presented her case at a United Nations forum, calling for international intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.