The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has decried in strong terms the decision of the Senate to decline to allow Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan return to her seat after the expiry of her six-month suspension, describing the action as abusive, illegal, and a brazen attack on Nigeria’s democracy.
In a signed statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party lashed at the leadership of the Senate for openly disobeying legal precedent and moral duty, maintaining that Senator Natasha’s suspension had already run out and any other move to exclude her from the chamber was “illegal and morally indefensible.”
The ADC argued that the decision defies the wishes of her Kogi Central constituents, stifles opposition, and is a broader anti-democratic position of the APC-led government that it argued was targeting opposition voices for suppression.
“The people of her constituency voted for Senator Natasha to speak their mind. Denying her access to the chamber is, in turn, denying her constituents a chance to be heard,” the statement added.
The opposition party also condemned denial of her salaries, legislative aides, and office access during the period she was under suspension as “institutional mugging” rather than discipline.
The ADC denounced the Clerk of the National Assembly for refusal to allow her to resume on the grounds that the matter was sub judice, condemning it for “administrative complicity” that undermines the autonomy of legislative institutions.
The party also expressed concern at the gendered nature of Natasha’s continued exclusion, noting that she is one of four women in a Senate of 109. The country’s current female representation of 2.7% is one of the lowest on the continent, and any steps likely to scare off women in politics, the ADC warned, would further discourage female participation.
“Nigeria cannot call itself a democracy when it keeps half its population out of decision-making positions. What this is about is not any one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC reiterated its vow to uphold democratic tenets as well as women’s political inclusion, calling for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to resume her work immediately.
