Tension rose at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday morning after officials held Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s passport.
The senator, representing Kogi Central, claimed immigration officers seized her passport on the orders of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a live Facebook broadcast, a visibly angry Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was stopped from boarding her flight without any legal reason.
“There’s no court order against me,” she said. “Yet they withheld my passport again.”
She described the incident as “an embarrassment” and accused Akpabio of abusing his power to silence her.
According to her, an officer told her that Akpabio instructed security agents to seize her passport whenever she tried to travel.
“The officer said Akpabio believes I damage Nigeria’s image abroad through media interviews,” she alleged.
The senator called the action “an abuse of power” and demanded the immediate release of her passport.
“Why should he overstep his boundaries?” she asked. “No one has the right to stop me from leaving my own country.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan said the presidency had earlier directed the attorney-general to withdraw two politically motivated cases against her.
“The president admitted the cases were political,” she said. “So, why am I still being harassed?”
She insisted she had obeyed all court summons and was not a flight risk.
“I’ve attended every court session,” she said. “Why treat me like a criminal?”
Akpoti-Uduaghan vowed to take legal action over what she called “continuous humiliation” by airport authorities.
“I may have to sue,” she said. “Sometimes you must be a rebel to make things right.”
Her passport was later returned by an immigration officer during the live broadcast.
Efforts to reach Akpabio’s media aide, Jackson Udom, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
This confrontation adds a new twist to the long-running feud between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio.
Earlier this year, the two clashed in the Senate chamber over seating arrangements, leading to her six-month suspension.
She also accused Akpabio of sexual harassment — a claim he denied.
Since her reinstatement in September, the senator has resumed legislative duties but says political persecution persists.
“Many colleagues were too afraid to identify with me,” she said. “But I will continue to speak the truth.”
The dramatic airport incident has reignited public debate over power abuse and the rights of lawmakers to free movement.
Read more on Law and Society Magazine.
