'Dis injustice no go stand' – Natasha Akpoti fire back at Nigerian Senate
Wia dis foto come from, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan/Godswill Akpabio/Facebook
Kogi Central Senator don condemn di action of di Nigerian Senate wey suspend her.
Dis na afta di Senate suspend her from office for six months.
Her suspension na based on di recommendation of di Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition on Thursday.
During plenary, Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of di committee recommend make dem suspend di female senator for her "total violation of di Senate Standing Rules 2023 as amended say e bring di senate leader and di entire senate to public shame."
Di chairman say for di Senate to consider removing di suspension or reduce di term of suspension, she must to submit written apology to di Senate before dem go fit reconsider.
Di recommendation also include to lock her office for di period wey she dey on suspension, plus withdraw her salaries and allowances.
But Senator Natasha for her response on top her verified social media handles say her suspension dey illegal and against "natural justice".
"Against di culture of silence, intimidation and victim-shaming; my unjust suspension from di Nigerian Senate invalidate di principles of natural justice, fairness and equity," she tok.
She add say di "illegal suspension no withdraw my legitimacy as a senator of di Federal Republic of Nigeria and I go kontinu to use my duly elected position to serve my constituents and kontri to di best of my ability till 2027 and beyond."
Di punishment on Senator Natasha
Ethics committee recommend;
- Six months suspension for senator Natasha.
- Dem go lock her office for di duration of di suspension.
- Dem go stop her salaries and allowances for di duration of di suspension.
- Dem go withdraw her security details.
- She must not come anywia near di Senate building.
- She must bring a written apology bifor she resume.
Natasha submit fresh petition against Akpabio
Bifor her suspension di Senator wey dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, submit anoda sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Natasha wey be Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs submit di petition again during Thursday plenary, afta di Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions bin reject di first petition.
During di presentation, di Kogi lawmaker say na her constituents, under leadership of one Zubairu Yakubu, file di new petition wey she submit.
Afta di presentation, Senator Akpabio ask weda any law dey wey go prevent di Senate from accepting di petition and she respond no.
Di Senate President refer di new petition to di Ethics committee wit order to report back to di plenary within four weeks afta legislative review.
Akpoti-Uduaghan bin present one petition of sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio during Wednesday plenary, but dem reject am.
Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, bin raise point of order, citing Senate Standing Order 40.
Im argue say dem no fit attend to or refer di petition to di senate becos of one court case wey concern Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Ekaette Akpabio, wife of di Senate President.
Monguno also say dem no fit consider di petition since na Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan personally sign am.
Wetin go happen next?
For di court order wey Justice Egwuatu of di Federal High Court Abuja bin give on Tuesday, e also give di Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions 72 hours to show cause why di court no go restrain dem from proceeding wit di investigation.
Dat 72 hours ultimatum go expire on Friday, so pipo dey expect wetin di court go tok.
Oda sabi pipo tok say anoda option wey Akpoti-Uduaghan go follow na to get anoda senator to sign di petition so she go fit present am again to di senate.
Meanwhile, some human rights lawyers ask Akpabio to withdraw imsef kpatakpata from di investigation bicos e no fit be judge for im own matter.
Kingdom Okere, a human rights lawyer say di accuse of sexual harassment na very serious matter and Akpabio no fit continue to sit as di senate president to preside over a petition against imsef.
"We dey call on Akpabio to do di needful—honorably step aside so dat dis matter go dey thoroughly investigated," Okere tok.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki also tok similar tin wen e chook mouth on di matter, and e recall wen somebody also make allegation against am wen e be president of di 8th senate.
Saraki tok say dat time, im step aside as senate president and allow im deputy to lead di investigation into di allegation.
"Dis na di precedent wey di leadership of di 10th Senate suppose follow dis time," Saraki tok.
Brief background
Wia dis foto come from, Youtube screengrab
Dis public gbas-gbos between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio start during di senate plenary of Thursday, February 20, 2025, wen Mrs Akpoti Uduaghan para for senate bicos she say dem change her sitting position.
She para sotee Akpabio bin ask di security pipo to escort her out, but oda senators bin intervene for di matter.
Following dat incident, Akpoti-Uduaghan grant interview on Arise TV wia she accuse Akpabio of sexual harassment and tok say na bicos she refuse Akpabio advances na im make di senate president dey persecute her.
Akpabio deny di accuse, and im wife Ekaette say she stand by her husband and she don file court case against Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan.
On di oda hand, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Mrs Natasha husband, don also support im wife and tok say she bin don tell am about di alleged harassment by Akpabio.
