Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduanghan of Kogi Central has resumed her duties in the National Assembly after serving a six-month suspension by the Senate. She was accompanied by a group of supporters returning to her office in Suite 2.05 of the Senate wing at the National Assembly complex, which had previously been unsealed by Deputy Director Alabi
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduanghan of Kogi Central has resumed her duties in the National Assembly after serving a six-month suspension by the Senate. She was accompanied by a group of supporters returning to her office in Suite 2.05 of the Senate wing at the National Assembly complex, which had previously been unsealed by Deputy Director Alabi Adedeji of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms.
Speaking as she entered her office, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan decried her suspension from the senate, which resulted in her inability to participate in the plenary sessions over the past six months, stating that the suspension was illegal and insisted that she has no apology to tender.
In her speech, she reflected on her experiences over the past six months, asserting that her suspension was unlawful and that she had endured what she described as an injustice imposed by the senate. She further conveyed her dissatisfaction with her treatment by the Senate President, whom she characterised as displaying a dictatorial approach in leading the upper chamber of the legislative branch.
“In retrospect, it is actually amazing how much we have had to pay in the past six months, from the unjust suspension to the recall. But we survived the recall, blackmail, and that crazy lady on Facebook.
“It is amazing what we had to pass through, and I give God Almighty the glory and my deepest appreciation to the people of Kogi Central and Nigerians at large. To my husband, I love you dearly. I pray all men support their wives in the same manner you have supported me.
“In everything, sometimes it is good to push the institution to the test. We can’t cower down in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me as if I were a servant or I was a domestic staff member in his house.
“It is so unfortunate that at this stage of our democracy, we have a National Assembly being run by such a dictator. It is totally unacceptable. As for me, I’m glad to be here, even though we have been illegally suspended, not a day have I effectively hesitated to perform my duties as a senator of Kogi Central.”
The protracted disagreement between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate began in March of this year, after her seating arrangement was altered without her prior consent. This incident resulted in the disruption of the plenary session underway at that time.
The Senate leadership explained that the relocation of seats was due to some minority lawmakers moving to the majority wing, resulting in an adjustment of seating arrangements. Senator Akpoti expressed disagreement and stated that she was not allowed to speak during the plenary, which led to a disorderly session.
The Senator later appeared on national television, where she accused the Senate President of sexual harassment and alleged that his actions were motivated by her previous rejection of his advances.
The matter was referred to the Senate disciplinary committee after Senator Akpabio refuted the sexual accusation against him. The committee determined that procedural infractions and legal restrictions rendered Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition ineffective, yet she resubmitted it the following day.
Despite the resubmission, the Senate exercised its authority and suspended the lawmaker for six months, defying an existing court injunction that barred the Senate from taking such action until the final ruling on the matter.
The matter sparked heated debate among members of the public and stakeholders, who accused the Senate of bias and favouritism for the Senate President on the issue, leaving no room for transparency and fairness in addressing it.
In July, the Federal High Court in Abuja examined the Senate’s disciplinary process that resulted in Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension and ordered the Senate to reinstate her, stating that her absence left her constituents without representation in the upper chamber.
Despite the court’s judgment, the senator was prevented from accessing the National Assembly when her convoy was stopped at the outer gate in Abuja. She subsequently attempted to proceed on foot but was denied entry by security personnel at the inner gate.
With her resumption to the office, it is yet unclear if she will be resuming the Plenary session of the Senate, which will reconvene on October 7th, 2025.
