By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The Forum of Aggrieved Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District, has petitioned the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges o9and Public Petitions.
In the petition signed by over 70 members of the Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State, the petitioners said their petition was pursuant to paragraph 12 of the Fifth Schedule (Part 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
They specifically drew the attention of the CCB Chairman, Mr Hassan Musa to the provisions of paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria in respect of the Code of Conduct for public officers.
Members of the Forum noted that the fifth schedule provides that a public officer shall not do or direct to be done in abuse of his office, any arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of any other person knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to any government policy.
The petitioners stated that the Senator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan secured an interim order of injunction from the Federal High Court, Abuja restraining the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuen from proceeding with the purported investigation against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan over alleged misconduct sequel to the events that occurred at the Senate plenary on February 20, 2025, pending the hearing of a Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.
They noted that despite being served with the Court Order, Senator Neda Imasuen utterly disregarded the Court Order claiming that no court can interfere with the functions of the Senate, even when he knew that his position was not correct in view of the provisions of Section 4(8) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which states that the exercise of legislative powers of the National Assembly SHALL be subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of law and judicial tribunals established by law.
The petitioners expressed surprise that Senator Neda Imasuen against the order of the court, proceeded to conduct the proceedings of the Ethics Committee contrary to an extant order of the Court that was served on him in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025; Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Vs Clerk of the National Assembly.
In the words of the petitioners; “In abusing his powers, Senator Imasuen, who had earlier invited Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for a hearing scheduled for March 11, 2025, curiously brought the hearing of his committee forward to March 5, 2025 without prior notice and without the presence of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Knowing that he has erred, Senator Imasuen hurriedly sent a fresh invitation letter to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on the same date, March 5, 2025.
Surprisingly, Senator Imasuen-led Ethics Committee as if fulfilling a set agenda, prepared a Report in less than 24 hours in spite of a valid Court order that was duly served on him and presented same on the floor of the Senate on March 6, 2025 and recommended the suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months against the Rules of the Senate which prescribes only 14 Legislatives days as contained in order 67(4) of the Senate Rules.
Curiously, during the consideration of the obnoxious and unlawful Report, Senator Akpabio, who is the Senate President presided over the adoption of the Report despite knowing about the said restraining order of Court and the Senate Rules which do not permit for such period of suspension to be imposed on a serving Senator.
Similarly, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate leader, who ought to guide the Senate appropriately, threw caution to the wind and urged the Senate to adopt the said Report even when he knew about the restraining order of Court and the Rules of the Senate.
Interestingly, the same Senator Bamidele is a member of the Body of Benchers charged with the responsibility of calling young lawyers to the Bar.
The petitioners stressed that it was based on the above that they deemed it proper to bring to the notice of the Chairman of the CCB, the conduct of the three Senators who apart from been abusive of their offices, seriously breached their oath of office, which enjoins them to perform their functions honestly to the best of their ability and in accordance with the constitution of Nigeria, the laws of Nigeria and the Rules of the Senate.
They averred that the wilfully abusive actions of the three senators are arbitrary and prejudicial to the right of Kogi Central Constituents to have their elected Senator represent their collective interests in the Senate.
The petitioners noted that the actions Senators Akpabio, Bamidele and Imaseun led to the unlawful suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate for a period of six months with consequential loss of right to attend Senate sessions or enter the premises, including the suspension of her financial entitlements and perks of office; withdrawal of her security details and purported directive not to parade herself as a Senator amongst others.
The petitioners further said; “The three Senators namely; Akpabio, Bamidele and Imasuen are therefore in clear contravention of paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule (part 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).”
