The Federal Government has stepped into the controversy leading to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, pledging to mediate  between the parties involved.

The intervention comes a day after the Senate imposed a six-month suspension on Akpoti-Uduaghan following her petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of sexual harassment.

Minister of Women Affairs, Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim described the situation as unfortunate and stressed the need to safeguard women’s representation in politics.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Minister promised to engage all stakeholders towards finding a fair resolution.

“It’s an unfortunate incident that should not happen. In the last assembly, we had nine female senators. We don’t want to lose any woman member or see a decline in those numbers,” said the Minister.

READ ALSO:Akpoti-Uduaghan defiant after six months suspension

The senator’s suspension follows a disagreement with the Senate leadership in February over a change in the seating arrangement. She later went on live television, accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment and the denial of her rights. A lawsuit seeking damages for the alleged actions was subsequently filed.

Suleiman-Ibrahim assured that efforts were underway to broker peace, adding that the Senate President had expressed willingness to resolve the matter through dialogue.

“I was at the National Assembly yesterday, where we marked International Women’s Day,” she noted, reinforcing the importance of women’s voices in governance.

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