BREAKING: Senate Slams 6 Months Suspension On Senator Natasha
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been suspended from the Senate for a duration of six months following the sexual harassment allegations she made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. This decision, reached on Thursday, March 6, 2024, was based on a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
As a consequence of the suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan will have her salary and security details revoked, and she will be prohibited from entering the National Assembly premises. Additionally, her office will be secured, and her legislative aides will not receive their salaries during this suspension period. The Senate has also stated that her suspension will not be reconsidered until the six-month term concludes or she submits a formal apology.
The suspension follows a contentious incident in the Senate, where Akpoti-Uduaghan objected to the reassignment of her seat by Akpabio. Upon attending a plenary session, she discovered that her nameplate had been removed and her seat reassigned, which she interpreted as an effort to suppress her voice.
The vote on her suspension occurred after she was denied the chance to address the Senate, with the majority supporting the Ethics Committee’s findings. Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro endorsed the committee’s recommendation, asserting that her conduct necessitated disciplinary measures, and he compared the action to “correcting a child,” in line with Nigerian cultural practices.
To contest her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan is required to submit a written apology to the Senate for purportedly breaching its regulations. Initially, the Ethics Committee had proposed a six-month suspension, but this was later modified to three months after the Senate took into account a plea from Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) for a reduction. A significant confrontation had transpired during a Senate plenary session two Thursdays prior, when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan protested the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
