The six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has sparked a heated debate across Nigeria, with many citizens condemning the Senate’s decision as an abuse of power.
The suspension has drawn criticism from various quarters, including the Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), Mr. Frank Tietie, who has denounced the move as anti-democratic.
Tietie said if the suspension is not immediately reversed, it will confirm Nigeria’s status as a country practicing modern democracy out of convenience, the consequences of which are frightening to contemplate.
The Abuja-based lawyer said this when he appeared on Arise News Night, monitored by Persecondnews.
Tietie, who is deeply pained by the way the apex lawmaking body handled the whole matter, ignored his laryngitis issue to honour Arise News invite.
He said: “I endured this strain to emphasize that our national leadership has the potential to improve rather than cling to outdated methods of intimidation, often employed by leaders who feel insecure.”
According to him, with over 15 years of experience as a public affairs commentator and news analyst, he has consistently observed that Nigerian leaders often miss crucial opportunities to foster meaningful sociopolitical engagement among the populace.
Tietie said effective people management skills should transcend the corporate realm, as they are vital in all interpersonal interactions to mitigate conflicts, misunderstandings, and foster harmonious relationships.
He said: “Consider how much of the turmoil surrounding the Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan incident could have been avoided if the respected Senate President had chosen to ignore the female senator or had simply allowed her to remain in her original position.
“Furthermore, the leadership of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions made a critical error by declaring Natasha’s petition “dead on arrival”.
“They could have directed that any mistakes or errors be corrected and attended to the petition perhaps a month or even six months later before making any recommendations.
“The rush to dismiss Natasha’s petition and subsequently suspend her for six months clearly indicates weak, insecure, and incompetent leadership that has abused its privileges and powers to intimidate and silence an individual female senator for holding differing opinions.
“Democracy is not about the majority using its power to oppress the minority; it is not about the dictatorship of the majority. Instead, it is about the collective power of the state (the majority) protecting the individual rights of all persons.”
The disagreement between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Sen. Natasha began on Thursday, February 20, after her seat was reassigned due to a reshuffle caused by opposition members defecting to the majority wing without prior information.
She declined to move to her newly assigned seat, sparking a heated debate.
While rejecting the arrangement, the Kogi senator raised her voice, accusing the leadership of silencing her.
She said: “I do not care if I am silenced. I am not afraid of you. You have denied me my privilege.”
The Senate, deeming her outburst as disorderly conduct, referred the matter to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for investigation and reporting.
She further escalated the feud with an interview on Arise News programme,”The Morning Show” on Friday, February 28, where she publicly accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Persecondnews had reported that the Senate, after reviewing the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Affairs regarding Natasha’s conduct, imposed a six-month suspension on her on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
The committee recommended that her salary and security details should be withdrawn during the six-month suspension period.
It was also recommended that she should not be seen anywhere around the National Assembly during the period.
The suspension, which a majority of senators voted to uphold, was announced by Akpabio himself during a plenary session.
Immediately the suspension was pronounced, the Senator said before her microphone was yanked off:“This injustice will not be sustained.”
Author
Leave a comment