• Senators send Kogi lawmaker away from plenary for 6 months, give written apology as condition for pardon
By Chinelo Obogo, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The decision by the Senate to place Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on a six-month suspension without salaries or allowances for violation of the Standing Rules 2023 (as amended) and for bringing the presiding officer and entire Senate in general to public opprobrium has stirred mixed reactions.
On February 20, Akpoti-Uduaghan clashed with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over seat reassignments in the parliament. Following the incident, she alleged that her troubles in the chamber began after rejecting amorous advances from Akpabio.
On Wednesday, she submitted a formal petition against him, but the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges dismissed it, citing procedural breaches and legal limitations.
The suspension from all legislative activities is with effect from March 6, 2025. She is to submit all Senate properties in her possession to the Clerk of the National Assembly and must not, her staff included, be seen within the vicinity of the complex.
She was also barred from parading herself as a member of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria all through the period of her suspension both locally and internationally, while relevant security agencies were notified to withdraw her security details.
However, following an amendment by Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, her aides were exempted from suspension of salaries and other entitlements.
Dr. Kalu had urged his colleagues to reconsider the aspect of the suspension that affected the aides arguing that they were employees of the National Assembly and should not be penalised for actions beyond their control.
“We cannot punish the aides of Senator Natasha for an offence they did not commit. They are staff of the National Assembly and have no other means of livelihood apart from the salaries they earn from the Senate. It would be wrong for us as a Senate to deny them and their families their salaries.”
He further moved for an amendment to the suspension terms, advocating for the continued payment of the aides’ salaries during the suspension period.
The Sergeant-at-Arms were accordingly directed to seal off her office within the National Assembly for the duration of the suspension.
But extending an Olive branch, the lawmakers added that the decisions would be reversed or reduced if she tenders a written apology to the Senate.
•Reactions
But a defiant Natasha faulted her suspension. “This injustice would not stand,” she thundered and vowed to continue the “pursuit for justice” before her microphone was disconnected.
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili and activist, Aisha Yesufu, described her as a symbol of courage and resilience.
In a series of posts on her X handle, Ezekwesili condemned the Senate’s actions as “vicious abuse of power and desecration of our Public Institution.” She said: “All sensible Nigerians have collectively asked the Senate to do is investigate the accusation of sexual harassment, but instead, they chose the ignoble path.”
Ezekwesili praised Akpoti-Uduaghan’s composure during the proceedings, saying: “She sat dignified to the end, in a room filled with men who collectively bullied her for daring to speak up for herself. Nigerian Women and all Real Men of goodwill should draw profound inspiration from her stoicism.”
Yesufu knocked the upper legislative chamber saying: “The Nigerian Senate is full of slaves not lawmakers. Senator Natasha stood on business and she will not stand alone. The battle line has been drawn! Equity and justice will always trump tyranny and injustice.It just takes time.”
Also reacting, former Senator Shehu Sani provided historical context to the situation, revealing that he nearly faced a six-month suspension himself when he publicly disclosed the salaries and allowances that Senators earn.
“When I publicly disclosed the salaries and allowances of the Senators, it nearly earned me a six-month suspension if not for divine intervention, Saraki and Ekwerenmadu’s immediate rescue. Just know that if you are there and you blow the whistle too loudly, you will be “On your Own”. No senator will support you,” he said.
•Senator Tinubu speaks
Prior to her suspension, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, assured that the Senate was taking appropriate steps regarding the sexual harassment allegations made by Akpoti-Uduaghan against Akpabio.
Speaking to journalists ahead of International Women’s Day, she emphasised that the Senate should be a place of integrity and not controversy.
Addressing the matter, Remi Tinubu urged lawmakers to maintain the dignity of the Senate.
“I know with what is going on in the Senate, you may ask why I am not taking a position. I believe the Senate is doing what is needful because that’s what it is. We shouldn’t be hearing things like this. It’s a mature chamber, and it should be treated with respect. It is an honour for you to be in that place alone,” she said.
Reflecting on her time as a senator for 12 years, she encouraged women in leadership to stand their ground and not allow themselves to be disrespected.
“I was there for 12 years, even in my younger days. People always compliment you. Women, raise yourself; don’t be in a position where men will talk to you anyhow. You can always shut them down before they start,” she said.
•Justification
Her suspension followed the consideration and adoption of the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions on a petition by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Adeyemi Adaramodu on the incident of “alleged disorder caused by Distinguished Akpoti-Uduaghan over reallocation of her seat in the Senate Chamber” in plenary yesterday.
The petition was referred to the Committee by the presiding officer, Akpabio, during plenary yesterday, when Adaramodu, standing on Order 1(b), drew the attention of the Senate to the effect of the outbursts by Akpoti-Uduaghan over change of her seat.
Chairman of the Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions Committee, Sen. Neda Imasuen (Edo South), while presenting the report, explained that the committee relied on witness accounts by The chairman of the Senate Committee on Business and Rules, Titus Zam; Deputy Director, Sergeant-at-arms (Senate chambers), Muktar Daudawa and Brig. Gen. Etido Ekpo, Sergeant-at-Arms, to verify claims made by Senate spokesman, Adaramodu.
He noted that Akpoti-Uduaghan did not respond to the committee’s invitation to appear before it to defend herself despite the notice placed on the Order Paper and another announcement made during plenary earlier in the day.
Imasuen said the committee found that the senator violated Order 6 (1) and (2) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 as amended by vehemently refusing to relocate to her newly allocated seat and insisting to raise a point of order from a seat not allocated to her, thereby “causing commotion and disruption of the Senate proceedings violating Order 66(2) of the Senate Standing Orders by refusing to leave the chamber when ordered to do so by the presiding officer.”
The second finding was that “her behaviour on the 20th of February 2025 was unethical and unbecoming of a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by refusing to uphold the moral sanctity of the Senate and the hallowed chamber.”
Thirdly, her refusal to appear before the committee to explain herself despite being served with the notice of the hearing published in the Senate Order Paper and read out to the Senate indicating time and place of the committee meeting was disdain and disrespectful to the committee and the Senate as a whole.
Lastly, the panel found that her allegations that the Senate president was frustrating her legislative functions by not allowing her motions and bills to be considered in the chamber was frivolous because Akpabio approved her motion on the investigation of alleged corruption and inefficiency at Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and National Iron Mining Company (NIOMCO) for consideration and it was considered accordingly; and equally she had sponsored three bills that are various stages of legislative processes.
On her sexual harassment petition which was referred yesterday, the committee stated that based on Order 40 (4) of the Senate Standing Orders 2024 which states that no senator may present a petition signed by him or herself, Akpoti-Uduaghan “ran contrary to this order as she signed her own petition. Similarly, she contravened Order 40 (7) which states that the “Senate should not receive or deliberate on any matter to which actions are pending in any court of law: as she has the same matter in court.”
Also noted was the interim order sought by the Kogi lawmaker to prevent the Senate and its Committee from exercising its constitutional duties and enshrined in section 88 (1) of the Constitution and another petition sent same day to the Senate on sexual harassment.