Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, represnting Kogi Central of Kogi State in Nigeria has resumed office with a scathing attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of dictatorship and insisting that her suspension was an “illegal suspension” meant to silence her.
Addressing her supporters at the National Assembly in Abuja upon resumption on Tuesday, Senator Natasha said she had endured six months of persecution and humiliation but emerged stronger.
The lawmaker insisted that no senator was greater than another, warning against attempts to reduce her to an inferior status within the chamber.
“So, in everything, it just shows that sometimes it’s good to put the institutions to test. We can’t cow down in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akabio is not more of a senator than I am. He’s not a governor of this place, and he treated me as if I was his servant or I was a domestic staff in his house. It’s very unfortunate that at this time, after so many years of democracy, we would have a national assembly being run by such dictatorship. It’s totally unacceptable!”.
Natasha recounted how her challenges went beyond the suspension. She spoke about roads and waterways being blocked, forcing her to travel by helicopter, as well as what she called blackmail and smear campaigns, including online harassment.
“I give God the glory that we survived all these battles,” she told her cheering supporters, while also expressing appreciation to her husband and children for standing by her during the storm.
Senator Natasha insists her illegal suspension never stopped her from working
However, Natasha revealed that despite being sidelined, she never stopped working for her constituents. According to her, she continued to secure projects and jobs for the people of Kogi Central, refusing to allow what she described as injustice to create a vacuum.
“As for me, I’m glad to be here and even though we have been illegally suspended, no day have I hesitated in effectively carrying out my duties as a senator of Kogi Central to the very best of my capacity. I have never, not one day went by without me looking out for opportunities either in terms of bringing infrastructure or projects to my people and even jobs wherever I could because I didn’t want them to suffer the neglect and the vacuum that was created by this injustice.”
The Senator also thanked the various entities that supported her during the trying times; the Civil Society Organisations, opposition parties, and even prominent figures who condemned her suspension, crediting public pressure for forcing the Senate leadership to reverse its stance.
“The voices of Nigerians pulled through, and that was the pressure the Senate President could not resist,” she noted.
She also praised activists such as Aisha Yesufu, legal luminary Femi Falana, and political leaders including Atiku Abubakar and Bukola Saraki, as well as organisations like the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
While acknowledging that some sections of the media went silent during her ordeal, she commended journalists who eventually reported the facts despite intimidation.
In her words; “The media, thank you for being fair. Even though at the time I did observe three months ago there was some silence and I understand that sometimes intimidation can come and you all have families to cater for and unfortunately we are in a country today whereby pretty much lives mean nothing. So I don’t blame you members of the media who at a particular time withheld publishing facts as they happen.”
Looking ahead, Natasha urged Nigerians not to lose faith in democracy, assuring them that the nation’s democratic process was still evolving. She expressed optimism that by 2027, Nigerians would act more decisively to protect their freedoms and reject authoritarian tendencies.
“The future is bright. We cannot give up hope. Patriotically, we have a country to save, and we will save it together,” she said
Addressing her supporters directly, Natasha described them as the true heroes of the struggle, insisting that their voices and peaceful actions ensured that she was not silenced.
She told them that the National Assembly was the people’s parliament, assuring them that they had the right to be there and to visit her office at will.
“This is your office and your assembly. As long as you are law-abiding, no one can hurt you here,” she told the crowd.
Natasha ended her address by promising to redouble her efforts in the Senate, assuring her constituents that she would remain their voice and defender against injustice.
Her remarks mark her first official reaction upon returning to office.
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