•Accuses Akpabio of turning legislative power into tool for personal vendetta
Wale Igbintade
Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Mike Ozekhome, has criticised the Senate for continuing to bar Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her legislative duties despite the expiration of her six-month suspension.
In a statement on Thursday, Ozekhome described the Senate’s action as unconstitutional, arguing that the indefinite suspension of a lawmaker amounts to stripping an entire constituency of representation.
He noted that Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, had served out the suspension imposed on her in March, but was prevented from returning following a letter from the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, citing ongoing appeals in court.
“The Senate’s position weaponises the doctrine of sub judice, turning a principle designed to protect the legal process into a tool of suppression. By excluding Senator Natasha, the Red Chamber is not just punishing one individual; it is disenfranchising the people of Kogi Central who elected her,” Ozekhome said.
He accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of deploying the institution for “personal aggrandisement,” insisting that the continued suspension was political victimisation following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s earlier allegations of misconduct against him.
Ozekhome argued that the Constitution clearly spells out the grounds on which a legislator may lose their seat — defection, conviction, resignation, or recall but does not provide for indefinite suspension.
Quoting precedents, including the Court of Appeal decision in Speaker, Bauchi House of Assembly v. Rifkatu Danna, he said Nigerian courts had consistently held that elected representatives cannot be shut out of legislative work under the guise of internal discipline.
“The Senate is not greater than the Constitution that birthed it. To gag Natasha is to silence Kogi Central. Discipline cannot override democracy,” he said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, initially for alleged insubordination, is currently the subject of ongoing appeals.
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