- Senate Leading A Misadventure To Destroy Rule Of Law, Our Democracy— Ezekwesili
- ·Senate Not Banana Republic, Rules Must Be Obeyed — Spokesman
The continued suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi Central in the 10th Senate has continued to draw criticism.
TheMatrix Newspaper reports that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate for gross misconduct on March 6, 2025, following a seating arrangement altercation with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The lawmaker argued that the federal high court had in July declared the suspension “excessive and unconstitutional” and ordered her recall.
She added that the expiration of the suspension entitled her to resume her “full duties as a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” without prejudice to the appeals filed at the Court of Appeal.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also demanded immediate access to her senatorial office, citing constitutional obligations and the need to prepare for plenary resumption.
However, she has been denied entry to the National Assembly.
Reacting to this, former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his colleagues to recall the suspended senator immediately.
In a strongly worded memo addressed to the Senate, the judiciary, and citizens, Ezekwesili accused lawmakers of abusing their powers by acting as both “accuser and judge” in the case involving Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“The Senate is leading a misadventure to destroy the rule of law and our democracy,” she wrote, stressing that the legislature’s actions mocked Nigeria’s Constitution.
Ezekwesili noted that Justice Binta Nyako had affirmed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s right to resume her duties, insisting the Senate had no legal basis to prolong her suspension. She warned that silencing an elected senator for petitioning the leadership set a dangerous precedent for all citizens.
Quoting Thomas Jefferson, she reminded Nigerians that “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance” and urged the public to unite against what she termed a “continuing constitutional assault.”
“The Senate President and 107 Senators are not more powerful than Nigeria’s people,” Ezekwesili declared, calling on the upper chamber to rescind its decision without delay.
Countering Ezekwesili, the Senate has said that its activities are guided by rules that must be obeyed.
Chairman, Senate Committee on media and public affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, stated this during a one-day capacity-building workshop in Abuja.
Adaramodu, while speaking on the recent controversy involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, said the upper chamber was not a banana republic.
‘The National Assembly is not a banana republic. We operate under rules that must be obeyed. It’s important that Nigerians are made to understand this, and you, the journalists covering the Senate, have a key role to play,” the senator stated.
He asked journalists covering parliamentary activities to take up the responsibility of educating Nigerians on the standing rules, to prevent misconceptions surrounding disciplinary actions taken during plenary sessions.
Highlighting the importance of accurate and informed reporting on parliamentary procedures, Senator Adaramodu underscored that one of the key rules that the public often misunderstand is Section 6(1) of the Senate Standing Rules, which empowers the President of the Senate to allocate and reallocate seats to senators as necessary.
He explained that incidents such as the one involving Akpoti-Uduaghan often stemmed from a lack of understanding or refusal to adhere to laid-down rules.
He said, “Journalists, like lawmakers, are expected to be knowledgeable about the Senate’s standing rules. When a senator fails to observe these rules, it is your duty to inform the public accurately.
“If a senator is assigned seat number 10 and chooses to sit on seat number 13, that senator will not be recognised by the Senate President. If the person insists on being recognised, trouble will certainly ensue.”
He further noted that seat assignments were not permanent and may be adjusted at the discretion of the Senate President in line with the rules, adding that obedience to legislative procedures is critical to maintaining order and credibility in the National Assembly.
—Matrix
