Natasha: Some of the senators against me should be in jail

Suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of orchestrating a personal vendetta against her, using the Senate as a tool to silence her for speaking out against sexual harassment.

She insisted her suspension had been declared illegal by a Federal High Court, and that she remained a duly elected senator.

Addressing journalists at the gate to National Assembly Complex in Abuja, the embattled senator criticised reports suggesting that her resumption was halted due to a supposed appeal filed by the Senate.

Natasha said there was no appeal by the Senate as an institution with regards to the ruling on her suspension.

“What happened is that Senator Akpabio himself, as an individual, took the National Assembly, the Senate, the Clerk, and the Ethics Committee to court. That’s important to clarify. There’s no legal basis for me not to resume today,” she said.

“Justice Binta Nyako ruled that my suspension was excessive and unconstitutional. She cited Section 63 of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates lawmakers to attend plenary at least 181 days in a year. Denying me that opportunity is a violation of my rights and the rights of my constituents.”

She described the Senate’s action as not just illegal, but also fraudulent, stating that the document used to recommend her suspension was never formally endorsed by the Senate.

“The so-called report recommending my suspension was merely a photocopied attendance sheet of the Ethics Committee. That makes the entire process invalid from the start,” she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also spoke about her ordeal since raising allegations of sexual harassment, saying that the timing of her suspension—just a day after she submitted her petition—was telling.

“This is clearly persecution,” she asserted. “Why was I suspended a day after I submitted a sexual harassment petition? Why the constant attacks, threats, and even a fraudulent recall attempt? And why has the Senate President, in particular, been so hostile toward me?”

Describing Akpabio’s leadership as the “worst the Senate has ever had,” she compared his style of governance to a “third-term governor” who silences dissent and controls proceedings with fear.

“When I challenged him on the floor, it wasn’t just an outburst—it was a cry from enduring a year of institutional oppression. Many senators are afraid to speak under him. This isn’t democracy.”

She further disclosed that there were two pending federal criminal cases against her, which she described as “frivolous and meant to intimidate.”

The charges, she said, relate to alleged criminal defamation for speaking about threats to her life.

“I’m not on trial for corruption, embezzlement, drug trafficking, or murder,” she stressed. “Meanwhile, some of the witnesses against me have files at the EFCC for looting public funds. If our institutions were working, they would be in jail, not in the Senate.”

Despite the Senate’s refusal to allow her access to the chamber, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she would continue to fight legally and morally.

“We’re consulting with my legal team. We may head to the appellate court for a clearer interpretation, but as far as I’m concerned, I am no longer suspended,” she said.

She vowed not to apologise for what she described as a principled stand against abuse and injustice, and said that her commitment to her constituents had remained unshaken throughout the ordeal.

“I’ve been working for my people despite this injustice. I’m a technocrat, a lawyer, an oil and gas expert. I entered politics to raise the bar, not to be silenced,” she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed hope that her resilience would inspire more courageous, educated, and intentional leaders, especially women, to step forward ahead of the 2027 elections.

“This isn’t just about me. It’s about the next generation. Let no woman be punished for speaking up. Let no Nigerian be silenced for demanding justice. We must change the narrative. And with your support, we will.”

Earlier, Natasha was prevented from gaining entry into the National Assembly Complex to attend Tuesday plenary at the chambers.

Security operatives who kept vigil at all the entrance gates to the National Assembly with their vans had locked all the gates on Natasha’s arrival.

The senator was in the company of her supporters and political allies.

Recall that the Senate had in March suspended Natasha for six months over alleged misconduct and refusal to comply with the chamber’s sitting arrangement during plenary on February 20, 2025.

But the senator approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, to seek redress. The court ruled that the Senate acted beyond its powers by suspending Senator Natasha for six months and ordered for her recall.

Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the judgement, described the duration of the suspension as “excessive” and without a clear legal foundation.

The judge pointed out that since the National Assembly is only required to sit for 181 days in a legislative year, suspending a lawmaker for roughly that same length of time effectively silences the voice of an entire constituency—a move she described as unconstitutional.

Since then Natasha has been making attempts to resume plenary. On Saturday, she vowed to resume plenary today when the Senate reconvenes.

But the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) in a statement in Sunday warned Natasha to stay away from the National Assembly.

Adaramodu claimed that Natasha was yet to comply with court directives of ₦5 million payable to the federal government for contempt of court, and a mandatory apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page.

“The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to reaffirm, for the third time, that there is no subsisting court order mandating the Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan before the expiration of her suspension.

“This clarification becomes necessary following the circulating claims by the suspended Senator that she intends to resume at the Senate next Tuesday based on a misinterpretation of the recent judgment delivered by Hon. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.”

Daily Trust reports that hundreds of National Assembly staff and visitors were stranded at the gates as security operatives have locked everywhere compelling motorists to turn back.