By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has resumed legislative duties on Tuesday after six – month suspension by the Senate.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan who stormed the National Assembly with a retinue of supporters, described her suspension as unjust, illegal and act of injustice.
She described the manner the Senate is being run by President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, as a “dictatorial and unacceptable.”
Natasha who briefed newsmen shortly after accessing her office, claimed Akpabio treated her as if she was a domestic staff in his home.
She thanked former Education Minister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, ex – Vice President Atiku Abubakar, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, activist Aisha Yesufu, Senator Bukola Saraki, the media, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), her husband, the Kogi Central people and Nigerians for lending their voices against the alleged injustice of her suspension.
She said, “It is actually amazing how much we have had to face and survive in the last six months, the unjust suspension. We survived the recall, we survived the blockade of roads and waterways.
“Sometimes, it is good to put the institution to test. We can’t be cowed down in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is no more a Senator than I am. He is not the Governor of this place. He treated me as if I was his servant, as if I was his domestic staff in his house.
“It is very unfortunate that this time after so many years of democracy, we will have a National Assembly being run with such dictatorship. It is totally unacceptable.”
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed never to apologise to the Senate for the alleged misconduct or as a condition to fulfil for being allowed access to the National Assembly premises on Tuesday.
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She said, “So I am actually worried as to what apology they expect from me. You can’t apologise for an injustice. And may I remind the good people of Nigeria that the document that led to my illegal suspension, which is the recommendation which Senator Neda Imasuen read, was actually written by the office of the Senate President. And the signatures that endorsed that recommendation were not willful signatures. It was only a tender sheet that was attached.
“That means the entire document that read and pronounced my suspension was listed with fraud. So, this is just one illegality upon the other. And I think in Nigeria, we should reject such things. I think it’s actually appalling that such an amount of illegality exists, and that fraud can occur in the National Assembly.
“So, if they are expecting me to apologise, I’m sorry, I don’t have those words. And if that is the condition for opening this office, then I think we have a long dance to make.”
The Daily Crucible reports that hours earlier before her resumption, the Senate unsealed her office located in Suite 2.05 of the Senate wing.
The action was performed by a Deputy Director of the Sergeant-At-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, as seen in a trending video.
The unsealing apparently paved the way for Akpoti-Uduaghan to regain access to the National Assembly and resume legislative duties.
She was suspended for six months by the Senate for alleged misconduct in March following seating position alteration. The suspension has since expired.
The suspension generated heated debate across the country and in diaspora with individuals and groups demanding her reinstatement.
A court had described the six months suspension as “excessive” and an action that was capable of making it impossible to represent her Constituency effectively.
It was learnt that Akpoti-Uduaghan had written to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, urging him to facilitate her resumption following the expiration of the suspension.
However, the Clerk had said she cannot resume due to pending appeals in her suit against the Senate.
However, with her office now unsealed, Akpoti-Uduaghan was granted access into the National Assembly premises and her office thereby paving the way for her to resume her legislative duties.
