|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Summary
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has officially resumed duties at the National Assembly after six months of illegal suspension. This followed the removal of the official seal placed on her office door by the Senate for the past six months.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has officially resumed work at the National Assembly today, September 23, 2025, after six months of illegal suspension.
Earlier in the day, a Deputy Director in the Sergeant-at-Arms unit, Alabi Adedeji, led the unsealing of her office, ending the enforcement of the sanction imposed on March 6.
Recall that on February 20, 2025, a heated exchange started between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio after her Senate seat was reassigned at the start of plenary without prior notice.
Refusing to comply, the Senate referred her to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.
On March 6, 2025, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over gross misconduct and violation of its rules.
In a significant ruling, the Federal High Court in Abuja declared her six-month suspension excessive and unconstitutional, ordering the Senate to reinstate her immediately.
On July 22, 2025, despite having notified the Senate of her intention to resume through two letters, Senator Natasha was denied entry into the chambers as she attempted to return to work.
Addressing supporters and colleagues on her return, Senator Natash described her suspension as illegal and accused Senate President Akpabio of running the chamber in a dictatorial manner.
She recounted the challenges she faced during the period, including attempts at recall, blockades of access roads, and what she described as blackmail from political opponents.
“It’s amazing how much we had to face and survive in the past six months, from the unjust suspension to the recall,” she said. “We can’t cower in the face of injustice. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. It is totally unacceptable that, after so many years of democracy, the National Assembly is being run in such a dictatorial way.”
She, however, stressed that her suspension never deterred her from working for her constituents. “No day went by without me looking out for opportunities to bring infrastructure, projects, or jobs to my people because I didn’t want them to suffer neglect from this injustice,” she said.
Senator Natasha expressed gratitude to her family, constituents, and a wide network of supporters across political parties and civil society, including the PDP, Labour Party, ADC, Nigerian Bar Association, and Nigeria Labour Congress, for rallying behind her during the crisis.
