The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and his colleagues in the Senate have, expectedly, refused, despite public outcry, to allow the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan return to the Upper Chamber after spending the six months suspension imposed on her by the Senate.
One would have thought that the so called distinguished senators would behave as such, like respected leaders in the society, and allow an issue that has lingered for long; an issue that Nigerians are passionate about, which to many of them bothers on constitutionalism and rule of law, to rest after she and her constituency have suffered enough, by allowing the lady to resume her legislative duties
Sadly, the reverse is the case. Our ‘ogas’ at the top have again demonstrated their utter disdain to matters that affect the very foundation of our fragile democracy; they are so insensitive to something that should have been maturely handled in such a way that the suspended senator would have been recalled few days to the expiration of the six months. Surely, they are least concerned about the mood of the nation and the principal officers careless about the image they are projecting to give a hook on what the citizens are saying about this unwarranted and needless grandstanding.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, after the Senate adopted the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which found that she violated Senate rules by refusing to vacate her assigned seat during plenary. The suspension stripped her of her salary, aides, and office privileges.
Since the expiration of her suspension, critical segments of the society have been voicing their discontents and expressing their reservations on the way and manner the Senate has handled this Natasha case, with many accusing the Red Chamber of hiding under legal technicalities to continue to prevent the embattled senator from exercising her constitutional rights to represent her constituents in Kogi Central. The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, accused the Senate, led by Senator Godswill Akpabio, of dragging the country toward “legislative dictatorship and democratic anarchy” over its continued refusal to reinstate Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to her legislative duties.
NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, did not mince words in describing the Senate’s stance on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as a “brazen persecution” that violates the constitution, undermines court orders, and disenfranchises the people of Kogi Central senatorial district”.
The Labour leader added: “The Senate’s pathetic recourse to a frivolous legal technicality, claiming the matter is sub-judice after the expiration of a patently illegal six-month suspension, is the height of legislative bad faith.”
“It is a cynical ploy that exposes a sinister agenda to silence dissent, crush opposition, and manipulate the judiciary as a tool of political persecution.
“This action constitutes a gross abuse of power that disgraces the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly and spits on the collective will of the people of Kogi Central who elected Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“From our standpoint, this action is a direct attack on the Nigerian people. It is a declaration by a privileged political elite that they are not accountable to the citizens they purport to serve. By willfully disenfranchising an entire senatorial district, the Senate is effectively stealing the political representation for which the people pay taxes.
The NLC Continues: “We warn the leadership of the National Assembly and their enablers: the Nigerian people, united across ethnic and religious lines, will not stand idly by while you cannibalise our democracy. The labour movement, as the historic defender of justice and the common good, will mobilise its immense membership and moral authority to resist this slide into autocracy. An attack on one senator today is an attack on the sovereignty of every Nigerian voter tomorrow.”
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also intervened, urging the Senate to act honourably and allow Natasha to resume her duties. NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, emphasised that, despite ongoing legal proceedings, Natasha should be reinstated, insisting that the pendency of the suit should not prevent her return.
“First, the suspension was for six months. Challenging the correctness of that decision in court is separate from the expiration of the suspension period. If the suspension has ended, she can return, regardless of whether the Senate was right or wrong in suspending her.
“The Senate cannot use the pending appeal to deprive her of her seat once the actual suspension has ended. That is not a good position for the Senate to adopt.
Predictably, Akpabio and his Senate turned deaf ears to the above statements and those of other concerned Nigerians and are not ready to shift their ground. But this is not the first time the Senate under the leadership of the Akwa Ibom State former governor will be acting against the norms and values of democracy. Since he emerged as the leader of the National Assembly, he has been largely subservient to the whims and caprices of the executive branch, with many saying that the Senate under him has become an agency of the executive branch. He indeed led a body that has consistently failed to check the excesses of the executive branch.
The framers of the constitution wanted a legislature that would be independent and interdependent, in the process safeguarding the constitution and on behalf of the people, holding the executive accountable. Democracy can only be vibrant and flourish if the legislature that controls the purse acts pragmatically at all times and in the interest of the people. Its devotion and fidelity to the constitution must be absolute and not optional; and it should not be seen to be under the control of an individual or group of individuals.
In truth, what we have seen in the past few months is a Senate that has been cowed, that is insensitive and that is increasingly acting at variance with the interests of the majority of Nigerians. And one is particularly worried that even the minority parties in the Upper Chamber have been curiously silent while Rome continues to burn. Or how do you describe the inability and failure of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators to come out and defend Natasha and insist on her return after serving her six months suspension? They have been visibly quiet and sheepishly following the dictates of the ruling party.
History is definitely not on the side of Akpabio and his recalcitrant fellow travelers on this matter. The Natasha issue has become a moral burden and an albatross on the neck of the Senate. How it is eventually resolved will show whether the characters in the corridors of power in this country are ready to defend the constitution they swore to protect or they are there for their selfish and parochial interests
Senate Under Fire as Akpabio Blocks Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Return After Suspension By Habib Aruna
