Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan could have avoided her prolonged standoff with the upper legislative chamber had she issued a public apology.
Akpabio’s remarks come amid the senator’s ongoing legal battle challenging her six-month suspension, which was imposed in March 2025. Representing Kogi Central, Akpoti-Uduaghan has twice attempted to return to plenary, citing a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which she claims invalidated her suspension.
However, in a statement released Monday, Akpabio’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kenny Okolugbo, contested that claim. He pointed to the appeal filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating it contradicts her public assertion.
According to Okolugbo, “Ground 23 of her appeal in Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan v. Clerk of the National Assembly & Ors reveals that the trial court did not explicitly nullify the suspension. While the judge described it as excessive and beyond the Senate’s constitutional powers under Section 63, the ruling stopped short of formally setting it aside.”
“This clearly shows that her public assertion that the court ordered her reinstatement is misleading,” he added. “All she needed to do was apologise publicly, and the suspension would have been lifted. Even the Brekete Family advised her to do so, but she refused.”
Okolugbo also criticised the senator’s dramatic return to the National Assembly on July 22, accompanied by supporters and media crews.
“She invaded the National Assembly with street urchins in what was clearly a media stunt. The Senate is not a reality show. You don’t force your way into a constitutionally regulated chamber,” he said.
He stressed that no formal communication from the court had been received directing the Senate to reinstate her, adding that proper legislative procedures—beginning with notification from the Clerk—must be followed before such action can be taken.
Reiterating that the suspension was a collective decision of the Senate and not a personal vendetta, Okolugbo said it was enacted under Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution and in accordance with the Senate Standing Orders.
He further noted that legislative representation for Kogi Central had not been hampered by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s absence, citing continued progress on her sponsored bills, including one to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Ihima.
Okolugbo concluded by warning that the controversy could set back the cause of women in politics.
“Nigeria has only four female senators. When one weaponises gender and distorts the truth, it undermines real struggles and damages credibility,” he said.
