…as Natasha Akpoti alleged that airport officials informed her the directive came directly from the Senate President.
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the seizure of her international passport, effectively stopping her from travelling abroad.
The lawmaker made the revelation during a live broadcast on her Facebook page on Tuesday morning, where she claimed that officials at the airport had once again withheld her passport without any legal justification.
“Having completed the celebration of my second year in the Senate, I decided to take a week off. But my passport is being withheld again the same thing that happened before,” she lamented. “I have committed no offence, and there is no court order restricting my travel.”
Akpoti alleged that airport officials informed her the directive came directly from the Senate President. “The officer in charge told us that Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling,” she said.
The senator, who appeared visibly frustrated in the broadcast, described the situation as an abuse of power and an infringement on her constitutional rights.
The iNews Times recalls that during the height of tensions between Senator Natasha Akpoti and Senate President Akpabio earlier this year, she was similarly stopped from boarding a flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
As of press time, Akpabio or his office has not issued a response to the latest allegation.
The development has reignited debate within political circles over the treatment of dissenting lawmakers and the limits of legislative authority in personal matters.
