Suspension: ‘I won’t apologize to no one,’ Natasha says as she officially resumes legislative duties at senate

Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday resumed legislative duties in her office at the Senate.

This followed the unsealing of her office, located in Suite 205 of the Senate Wing, by the Senate earlier in the day.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been on suspension since March, upon resumption, insisted that she would never apologise for her actions as earlier demanded by the Senate.

“It is good to put institutions to the test; no one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am, and he treated me like I was his servant. We cannot cower in the face of injustice.

Even though I was suspended illegally, I effectively carried out my duties as a senator to Kogi Central because I didn’t want them to suffer neglect,” she said.

NewsClick Nigeria reports that the Red Chamber’s earlier decision to deny her entry and resumption of legislative activities despite serving out her six-month suspension was met with nationwide outrage.

Nigerians across all works of life labelled the Senate’s action as not only vindictive but dictatorial. NewsClick Nigeria’s editorial of Monday, September 15 did not spare the upper chamber as well. Amongst other things, we demanded her immediate reinstatement to allow her constituents quality representation.

“…Opposing Natasha’s resumption by legislative fiat after she has served out her controversial six-month suspension is oddly and unfair. It is the height of vindictiveness. Hinging the decision on a subsisting suit in court over the suspension she has served out fully is sheer cockamamie mischief. It is a specious argument that stands logic on its head.

It is clearly a continuation of the adversarial contrivance by the leadership of the red chamber to break the spirit of a strong-willed woman who dares to assert her rights,” our editorial read in part.