The Senate has finally suspended the Senator representing the Kogi Central senatorial district, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for six months following the adoption of the report by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

The Senate approved her suspension on Thursday during a plenary session presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The red chamber accused Akpabio of failing to appear before the committee following her confrontation with the Senate President, resulting in the disruption of the session.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has now been caught in between the fight to retain her seat to continue with her legislative duties and getting justice, as the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions has recommended a six-month suspension despite submitting her petition of allegation of sexual harassment against the President of the Senate, Goodwill Akpabio, to the same committee.

The Senate committee made the recommendation during the plenary session today in which they accused Senator Natasha of violating the house rule and failing to submit herself to the committee for the review of her alleged misconduct, which is considered an affront to the institution.

The committee’s chairman, Senator Neda Imasuen, who presented the panel’s report at plenary, said the committee recommended that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension take effect from March 6, 2025, adding that her office should be locked.

The committee further recommended that she should be restrained from entering the National Assembly premises during her suspension while her salary and those of her aides would be withdrawn. The panel report also emphasised that the Kogi state senator should be barred from representing Nigeria in any official capacity as a senator of the country while she is serving her suspension.

It should be recalled that an order from Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had prohibited the Senate Committee from probing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for her outburst disruption during the plenary session.

However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has insisted on getting justice on her sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio as she resubmitted a petition to the Senate. The petition, this time, was submitted on behalf of her constituents, led by Zubairu Yakubu.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan presented the petition to the Senate after responding to the Senate President’s question about whether the petition had any legal impediments, to which she stated that there were none.
The petition was thereafter referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, with an instruction to report back to the Senate within four weeks after legislative review.

The Senator brought a similar petition to the House yesterday against the Senate President but was rejected by the Senate for procedural reasons. Senator Tahir Munguno, the Senate Chief Whip, raised a point of order to contest the petition’s legitimacy, stating that it would not be taken into consideration because the Senator personally signed it.

This development is against the backdrop of the ongoing tension in the Senate between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who protested against her sitting position, which was changed upon the resumption of hearings without her consent and prior notice, leading to disruption in the plenary session as she openly disagreed with the leadership.

While the leadership of the Senate tried to justify the relocation of seats as some of the minority lawmakers were already moving to the majority wing of the Senate chamber, hence the readjustment of sitting positions, Senator Akpoti was not convinced. But she accused the Senate President of denying her the privilege to speak during the plenary, leading to a rowdy session.

Senator Akpoti then appeared on national television to accuse the Senate President of sexual harassment, claiming that he was witch-hunting her because she previously declined his advances.