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The 10th Senate appears to be entangling itself in contradictions as it moves to invite Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was recently suspended and barred from the National Assembly complex to appear before its Ethics and Privileges Committee.
This comes after Natasha, who was suspended under controversial circumstances, on Monday, took her case to the United Nations Women Parliamentarians Session in New York, drawing international attention to what many describe as an excessive and punitive sanction.
On March 6, 2025, the Senate, in less than 24 hours of investigation, suspended Senator Natasha, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
This decision was made despite a court order restraining the Ethics Committee from taking such action. She was neither granted a fair hearing nor given an opportunity to appear before the committee.
More strikingly, her petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio was dismissed outright as “dead on arrival” by the Neda Imasuen-led disciplinary team.
The suspension came with severe restrictions, including a six-month ban from entering the National Assembly complex, the withdrawal of her security details, the stoppage of her allowances during the suspension, the retrieval of all National Assembly items in her possession, the sealing of her office, and a directive barring her from presenting herself locally and internationally as a senator.
Seeking justice, Natasha challenged her suspension in court, and in a bold move, she presented her case at the United Nations Women Parliamentarians Session in New York.
This unexpected step appears to have forced the Senate to reconsider its stance.
In a surprising reversal, the Senate has now invited both Senator Natasha and Senate President Akpabio to appear before the Ethics Committee to investigate the alleged sexual harassment case against Akpabio.
This development comes just hours after some senators and Ethics Committee members distanced themselves from the suspension, claiming that their signatures were misrepresented in the report.
These members expressed disappointment over the rushed process, stating they were not given a chance to review the report before it was submitted to the Senate chamber.
This abrupt change in direction raises critical questions. Why is the Senate revisiting a petition it had previously declared “dead on arrival”? More so, how can a suspended senator barred from the National Assembly complex now be expected to appear there for a committee hearing?
Will the Senate revise the terms of her suspension to accommodate this hearing, or would her presence be deemed another breach of the rules?
Concerns have also been raised regarding Akpabio’s role in the proceedings. As the accused, will he step aside to allow for a transparent investigation, or will he preside over a case in which he is directly implicated?
The Senate had initially dismissed the petition on the grounds that it was already before a court of law. If that was truly the reason, has the petition now been withdrawn from the court following Natasha’s suspension? These are questions that demand urgent answers.
Additionally, scrutiny has fallen on Senator Neda Imasuen, the chairman of the Ethics Committee. Given his disbarment over a fraud case, is he still qualified to lead a committee responsible for overseeing ethical conduct in Nigeria’s apex law-making institution?
As the Senate grapples with the fallout from its earlier actions, Nigerians are watching closely. Whether this reversal is a genuine attempt to correct an error or merely damage control remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: the controversy surrounding Senator Natasha’s suspension is far from over.
