Senate President Godswill Akpabio has insisted that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan must issue a public apology before she can be allowed to return to the Senate chamber, following her six-month suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, attempted twice to resume her legislative duties after citing a Federal High Court ruling that she claimed nullified her suspension. However, she was turned away on both occasions by Senate officials.
In a statement released on Monday, Akpabio’s Special Adviser on Legal and Public Affairs, Kenny Okolugbo, said the senator’s actions were misleading and staged for public attention. He clarified that the court did not explicitly overturn the Senate’s decision, contrary to her claims.
Referencing the case Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan v. Clerk of the National Assembly & Others, Okolugbo noted that while the judge viewed the suspension as excessive, there was no clear directive reinstating her or instructing the Senate to lift the sanction.
“There has been no official communication from the court to the Senate leadership or the Clerk directing her reinstatement. What we saw instead was a media spectacle—arriving at the National Assembly with cameras and supporters as though the Senate were a reality TV show,” he said.
He emphasised that if there had been a valid court order, the appropriate internal procedures would have been followed, starting with a notification from the Clerk and deliberation by the Senate leadership.
According to Okolugbo, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was enacted in line with Senate Standing Orders and the constitutional authority granted under Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution.
“This is not personal. It is procedural. All she needed to do was issue a public apology and the suspension would have been lifted. Even the Brekete Family programme advised her to do so, but she refused,” he added.
Despite her absence from plenary, Okolugbo noted that legislative business in her constituency had not been affected. He pointed out that her sponsored bills, including one to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Ihima, continued to progress.
He warned that actions like those of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan could set a troubling precedent for women in politics.
“Nigeria currently has only four female senators. When one begins to weaponise gender or misrepresent facts, it does more harm than good to the real struggle for female representation in governance,” he said.
