The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has deplored the continued obstruction of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return to the Senate.
It described the action as malicious, injurious, abusive and a flagrant affront on Nigeria’s democratic values.
The ADC, in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said it’s troubling that during the course of her suspension, Senator Natasha was denied her salaries, legislative aides, and access to her office.
“These are not privileges, but instruments of public service. To strip an elected senator of these tools is not discipline, it is institutional mugging,” the party said.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate on March 6, for six months, ostensibly for breaking Senate’s standing rules.
The six months suspension elapsed on September 5, but the leadership of the Senate and that of the National Assembly have blocked moves by the lawmaker to resume her duties.
“We consider this development not only malicious, but also deeply injurious to the spirit of our constitutional democracy, especially the right to dissent.
“It is important to recall that the suspension of Senator Natasha was imposed by the Senate, not by a court of law. And whether one agrees with the basis for that decision or not, the tenure of that disciplinary action has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” the ADC added.
The opposition coalition said the matter is not about partisan politics, but a dangerous precedent being set within legislative institutions, one that reduces democratic representation to the whims of a few individuals rather than the will of the electorate.
The statement continued, “It is about a political culture that appears more invested in punishing dissent than in upholding justice.
“Let it be clearly stated, the people of her constituency elected Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to speak on their behalf. Denying her access to the chamber is, by extension, denying her constituents the right to be heard.
“It is especially troubling that during the course of her suspension, Senator Natasha was denied her salaries, legislative aides, and access to her office. These are not privileges, but instruments of public service. To strip an elected senator of these tools is not discipline, it is institutional mugging.
“Even more disturbing is the posture of the Senate leadership, which has continued to act as though legislative power can be exercised without accountability.
“We challenge the Senate President and his colleagues to explain why a suspension that has run its course should be made indefinite by stealth.”
The party noted that several respected Senior Advocates of Nigeria have rightly observed that Senator Natasha’s suspension, having fully lapsed, can no longer be used as a justification to deny her return.
They added that a pending legal appeal, cited by the Senate, does not suspend constitutional rights, nor does it grant any official the power to override the mandate of the electorate.
The ADC declared the continued barring of the female senator from office a violation of the constitution, adding that the Senate, as the nation’s highest lawmaking body, must not be seen to violate the very laws it exists to uphold.
“We also note with concern the Clerk of the National Assembly’s refusal to process her resumption on the grounds that the matter is sub judice.
“While the Clerk may claim administrative caution, what is being projected is administrative complicity. His role is not to adjudicate but to facilitate. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished.
“The ADC notes the broader implications of the Senate’s treatment of one of its very females for the cause of women’s political participation generally.
“Senator Natasha is one of only four women in a Senate of 109 members. Nigeria’s paltry female representation of 2.7 percent is already among the worst record of women political participation even in Africa.
“Any action that resembles gendered intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women participation and make Nigeria appear even worse in the eyes of the world.
“Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while marginalising half of its population from its most critical spaces of decision-making. The soul of democracy lies in its capacity to accommodate dissent, protect the minority voice, and uphold the rule of law, no matter how inconvenient. What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself.
“The ADC, therefore stands firmly in defense of democratic principles and women’s political participation. We therefore demand that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her duties immediately.”
