“If You Don’t Go, I Won’t Go” - Drama at Senate Over Alleged Exclusion of Sen. Natasha from CSW

According to a report by Viable TV, on Wednesday February 25, 2026, a heated exchange unfolded at the National Assembly during a Senate budget review session as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) protested her alleged exclusion from Nigeria’s official delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in the United States.

The CSW is the world’s most significant annual gathering dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, drawing global leaders to draft policies for women’s rights.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed deep dissatisfaction during the deliberations, questioning why her name was missing from the list of attendees. She argued that in a chamber with only four female senators, every voice is vital for fair representation.

The lawmaker made it clear that there were no administrative grounds for her exclusion, noting:

“I am not under any suspension and therefore see no justification for being left out of such a significant international engagement centered on women’s issues.”

Detailing a breakdown in communication, Akpoti-Uduaghan explained that she was only notified of the trip at 1:00 p.m. the day before deadlines were set to close.

Despite immediately forwarding her travel documents, she claimed she was later told her submission was “too late,” effectively barring her from the conference.

The allegations prompted an immediate rebuttal from Senator Ireti Kingibe, who coordinates the Senate’s women’s affairs activities. Kingibe insisted she had made every effort to ensure the delegation was inclusive.

In a striking display of sisterhood that momentarily paused the legislative proceedings, Senator Kingibe vowed that she would not travel to the United States if her colleague was left behind.

“I’m not aware, nobody has communicated to me, and I assure you that you’re going; if you don’t go, I will not go. That I say here as a woman,” Kingibe declared firmly.