Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has described her March 6 suspension from the Nigerian Senate as a calculated and politically driven action.
In an interview with journalist Adeola Fayehun on her YouTube channel on Saturday, May 31, 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that her suspension was orchestrated in advance and that her rights as a lawmaker were violated during the process.
“The public has been misled into thinking I disrupted Senate proceedings over a seat,” she said. “That’s simply not true.
I raised a matter of privilege under Chapter 4, Item 9b of the Senate Rules, which requires immediate attention.
Instead of addressing it, the Senate President interrupted me, ordered my removal by the Sergeant-at-Arms, and instructed the Clerk to begin drafting my suspension letter.
It was clear this was not a spontaneous reaction but a pre-planned script.”
She further accused the Senate President of exceeding his constitutional authority and alleged that her refusal to yield to his “demands” contributed to the incident.
“He does not have the power to suspend a senator unilaterally on the Senate floor,” she said. “The way I was treated—like a subordinate in his personal residence—was not only inappropriate but unlawful.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also revealed that her suspension occurred just a day after she submitted a formal petition against the Senate leadership.
“I have every reason to believe this was retaliation,” she said. “The ethics report used as justification was merely a cover.
I brought forward serious allegations that challenged the status quo, and the next day, I was silenced.”
Her comments have since sparked renewed debate about legislative transparency, due process, and the limits of Senate authority.