SERAP BLASTS AKPABIO: “LET NATASHA RESUME NOW OR STOP TRAMPLING DEMOCRACY”

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a blistering call on the Senate, led by President Godswill Akpabio, to immediately reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, insisting her suspension has lapsed and that her right to resume legislative duties must be respected without further delay.

In a strongly worded statement released Tuesday night, the rights group condemned the refusal of the Red Chamber to honour Akpoti-Uduaghan’s September 4 resumption letter, despite a formal acknowledgment by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was handed a six-month suspension on March 6 following a heated altercation with Akpabio over seating arrangements in the chamber—an action critics have since described as excessive, undemocratic, and politically motivated.

However, with the expiration of the suspension period, the senator notified the Senate of her intention to resume. The upper chamber, instead of complying, cited a pending Court of Appeal case filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan as justification for maintaining the suspension.

But SERAP rejected that stance outright, branding it a “travesty of justice” and an “affront to constitutional governance.”

“There is no law in Nigeria that prevents Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her duties pending the hearing and determination of her case in court,” SERAP declared. “This is nothing short of a calculated attempt to silence her voice and undermine democracy. The Senate must not continue to punish her for exercising her fundamental rights.”

The organization reminded Akpabio and the Senate that the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—treaties Nigeria has ratified—guarantee lawmakers the right to free expression and participation in governance.

“No one should ever be punished for ‘speaking without permission.’ Being a senator does not strip Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of her basic human rights,” SERAP stressed.

Beyond calling for her immediate resumption, SERAP also demanded the full payment of salaries and allowances withheld during her suspension, warning that the Senate was setting a dangerous precedent of impunity.

“The Senate should be setting an example by upholding the rule of law, not trampling on it. A higher degree of tolerance is expected when it involves political speech, especially one directed at public officials,” the group added.

As the standoff deepens, political observers warn the Senate’s defiance could snowball into a larger constitutional crisis—pitting the legislature against public opinion and the courts in a test of Nigeria’s democratic resilience.