The Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, citing alleged misconduct and violations of its standing rules.
The decision, announced during Thursday’s plenary, was based on the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, which found her guilty of breaching legislative protocols.
The committee’s chairman, Neda Imasuen, presented the report, highlighting her protest over the reallocation of her seat in the chamber and public statements as the main reasons for the disciplinary action.
According to the report, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions undermined the authority of the presiding officer and brought the Senate into public disrepute, warranting strict measures.
As part of the sanctions, the Senate ruled that her suspension would take effect from March 6, 2025. She is required to submit a written apology before any consideration of lifting or reducing the suspension.
Other conditions imposed include locking her office for the duration of the suspension, returning all Senate properties in her possession, and barring her and her staff from entering the National Assembly premises.
Additionally, her salaries and allowances will be withheld, her security details withdrawn, and she will be prohibited from representing herself as a senator in any official capacity.
Imasuen stated that testimonies from involved parties confirmed the senator’s violation of Senate rules, and the committee’s findings were unanimously supported by several lawmakers, including Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South), Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North), Abba Moro (Minority Leader), Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun East), and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.
Following a voice vote, Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled in favor of the suspension, and Akpoti-Uduaghan was escorted out of the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms.
The controversy leading to her suspension began two weeks ago when she discovered that her seat had been reassigned. Refusing to comply with the new arrangement, she challenged the decision, leading to a heated exchange.
“Failure to comply with the new seating arrangement could lead to penalties, including being barred from participating in Senate discussions,” Chief Whip Tahir Monguno warned, referencing the Senate rule book. He further explained that such adjustments were within the constitutional authority of the Senate President.
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However, Akpoti-Uduaghan refused to back down, confronting Senate President Akpabio:
“I don’t care if I am silenced, I am not afraid. You have denied me my privilege. Mr. Senate President, ever since the nightclub incident, you have deliberately silenced my voice,” she declared.
She further insisted, “As a senator duly elected by my people, I choose to remain on this seat, come what may. The worst you can do is to suspend me from this sitting, and that will not stop me from contributing my quota to my constituency, the Senate, and Nigeria as a whole.”
Pointing directly at Akpabio, she added, “Mr. Senate President, I have taken a lot from you. If you don’t want me to speak publicly, I will let the whole world know how you have discriminated against me, maligned me, dehumanized me.
“Your choice of words has embarrassed me. Mr. President, do what you may, I will not leave this seat.”
As tensions escalated, Akpabio instructed the sergeant-at-arms to remove her from the chamber.
“Please take her out so that we can continue with today’s activities,” he ordered.
The fallout continued beyond the Senate floor, as Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared on Human Rights Radio on Saturday, where she reiterated claims of being victimized.
Her public statements led Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu to invoke orders 1B and 10 of the Senate Standing Rules, citing privilege violations and procedural misconduct, ultimately resulting in the disciplinary action.
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