The former minister of education, Oby Ezekwesili, has called on the senate to fully reinstate the rights and privileges of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central.
In a statement shared on X, Ezekwesili described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return as “a chance for the senate to correct its mistake and uphold fairness.”
She congratulated the lawmaker on her reinstatement, stating that her comeback represents “the fortitude and resilience necessary to fight injustice perpetrated against citizens by those who abuse public power.”
“Now that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been rightfully allowed to return to the senate after months of an unfair and punitive suspension, it is time for your leadership and members to do the right thing—end all forms of harassment or targeting against her,” Ezekwesili wrote.
The former minister added that the suspension was seen by “all reasonable Nigerians as an act of injustice” and said it sent a troubling signal about attempts to silence a woman who speaks firmly and stands by her convictions.
She urged the senate leadership to end all forms of hostility towards Akpoti-Uduaghan and reinstate her committee assignments, office access, staff support, and full participation in plenary activities.
“The senate must prove it can handle all matters involving individual members with maturity and not weaponise public power to unjustly punish the aggrieved,” Ezekwesili noted.
She stressed that the issue extends beyond Akpoti-Uduaghan, pointing out that “it is about what kind of democracy Nigeria wants to build—one where no one is punished for standing up for the truth, and where women can lead without fear of bias or bullying.”
Ezekwesili warned that the actions of the 10th senate will be remembered based on how it deals with allegations involving its leadership.
“Nigerians are watching, and history will remember whether the senate chose vindictiveness or justice,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan resumed her duties in the senate on Tuesday following a six-month suspension.
Her office had been reopened ahead of her return, despite earlier insistence from the national assembly that she remain suspended due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Her reinstatement comes amid a lingering dispute over her allegation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Throughout her suspension, which began on March 6, 2025, she was denied access to her office, and her security personnel and allowances were withdrawn.