The Nigerian Senate has excluded Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, from the country’s official delegation to the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), currently underway in New York from March 9 to March 19, 2026.
The global forum, held at UN headquarters, focuses on advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment, and strengthening access to justice for women and girls worldwide. Member states send delegations to participate in high-level discussions, negotiations, and outcome document formulation on priority themes related to women’s rights.
Nigeria’s delegation has come under scrutiny after Akpoti-Uduaghan — one of the few female senators in the 10th National Assembly — was dropped from the final list and replaced by a male senator, Senator Adegbonmire Adeniyi Ayodele (Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters).
The controversy first emerged publicly during a Senate Committee on Appropriations meeting on February 25, 2026, when Akpoti-Uduaghan raised the issue after learning of her exclusion despite meeting all requirements.
She explained that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs had initially invited her to join the delegation and requested the photo page of her international passport, which she submitted within hours. However, she was later informed that her inclusion was no longer possible, with officials citing late submission of documents — a claim she disputed.
At the committee session, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Ireti Kingibe, initially dismissed the exclusion, stating that she had personally recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan after two other female senators — Idiat Adebule (Lagos West) and Ipalibo Banigo (Rivers West) — reportedly declined the opportunity.
Kingibe assured the Kogi senator that her name had been forwarded and even pledged that if Akpoti-Uduaghan was not allowed to attend, she (Kingibe) would also stay back in solidarity.
Despite those assurances, the situation changed. In a letter dated March 5, 2026, addressed to Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senator Kingibe confirmed that the Ministry of Women Affairs had not approved sponsorship for additional delegates beyond the two officially nominated by the Senate President: herself and Senator Adegbonmire.
“For the sake of clarity, I can confirm that at this stage, only two members of the Senate have been officially nominated by the Senate President and have confirmed registration: myself, in my capacity as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, and Senator Adegbonmire Adeniyi Ayodele… To the best of my knowledge, we are currently the only Senators whose attendance is finalised and registered,” the letter stated.
Kingibe apologised for the outcome and advised Akpoti-Uduaghan to attend privately if she held a valid U.S. visa.
Attempts to obtain further clarification from Senate officials have not yielded results. Calls and messages to Senator Kingibe and the Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, went unanswered.
A staff member of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, speaking anonymously, suggested that the exclusion may have been influenced by concerns within the Senate leadership. The source claimed some officials feared Akpoti-Uduaghan might raise sensitive or controversial issues — particularly in light of her earlier sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio — that could attract negative international attention for Nigeria.
The decision to replace a female senator with a male colleague at a forum dedicated exclusively to women’s rights and gender equality has sparked criticism from gender advocates, civil society groups, and some political observers, who argue it undermines Nigeria’s credibility on women’s representation and participation in global gender discussions.
As CSW70 continues in New York, the composition of Nigeria’s delegation remains a point of domestic debate, highlighting ongoing tensions around gender inclusion, political dynamics, and representation in the National Assembly.
