From Victor Osula, Abuja
Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday stormed the National Assembly to resume legislative duties.
However, a barricade of policemen prevented her and her team comprising a crowd of supporters, legislative aides, right activist, Aisha Yesufu, Mama P and activist Randy.
After the initial protest against the police refusal to let her through the gate into the National Assembly, she spoke to journalists and described the action as contempt of court by the Senate under President Godswill Akpabio.
“Akpabio cannot be greater than the Nigerian Constitution. I want Nigerians to know that the Office of the Senate President doesn’t give me legitimacy as a senator. The fact that he has done an appeal does not invalidate the decision of Justice Binta Nyako, and that does not stop me from being a senator. I got my legitimacy as a senator from the people of Kogi who voted me into office as senator,” she said.
She further said, “That I’ve been denied entrance to the National Assembly is a statement being made. It’s on record that the National Assembly under Akpabio has decided to be in contempt of a court decision, and it’s quite ironic that they are lawmakers. That poses the question: how far is our democracy in this day and age?”
According to her, displaying the papers of the court judgement, the ruling that Akpabio appealed was in his capacity as a person and not the Senate as an institution, arguing that a resolution of the Senate would be needed to appeal the judgement, which in their case was not done. She added that the Constitution mandated lawmakers to seat for a maximum of 180 days, meaning that he suspension for six months was unconditional, as underscored by the judgement of Justice Binta Nyako.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also questioned the basis of her initial suspension, stating, “Even the suspension ab initio was fraudulent—the document was faulty.”
On her next line of action, she said, “Going forward, I will have a meeting with my legal team so they proceed to the appellate court to seek interpretation into what just happened. I’m a law-abiding citizen.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate for six months over alleged misconduct and breach of parliamentary rules.
Her suspension came with penalties, including the withdrawal of her salary, security aides, and access to the National Assembly complex. She was also barred from identifying herself as a senator.
However, she had vowed to return to the chamber on Tuesday, July 22, citing a recent Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako as the basis for her decision.
Justice Nyako, in the July 4 ruling, nullified the senator’s suspension and ordered her immediate reinstatement.
The judge described the Senate’s action as “excessive, unconstitutional, and a violation of the rights of her constituents.”
The court further held that the Senate exceeded its powers under Chapter 8 of its Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
Justice Nyako noted that lawmakers are expected to attend at least 161 sitting days in a legislative year and argued that the six-month suspension denied the people of Kogi Central proper representation.
In response, Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, stated on Sunday that the judgment was “an advisory opinion” and not a binding directive on the Senate.
Earlier on Tuesday, security presence was heightened around the National Assembly, apparently to forestall any disruption following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return.
