A popular women group operating under the aegis of the Nation Women Forum, has demanded for the immediate recall of he susp3nded female lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In a statement issued by the National Coordinator of the group, Chief Hajia Amina Ina Abubakar which was made to CAPITAL POST in Abuja on Sunday, said the six months suspension by the upper legislative chamber was unfair and an attempt to supress her voice against the alleged harassment.

The group contended that the Senate should see Senator Akpabio’s sex-manic attitude as an albatross hanging on the neck of 105 male Senators in red chamber, wondering how such weighty allegation should rock a number three official.

The statement said: “How can a man of Akpabio’s calibre, the number 3 man in Nigeria  will be harassing women? He should look for how to satisfy his high libido with ease always.

“Am calling on all women in Nigeria to rise up in defence of one of our own. If may ask, is the 10th Senate gender sensitive at all?

“How can you suspend some one  who was stampeded and cried out.

“Imagine the Senate with just about 4 female and you are suspending one for a whole year, because in the Senate calendar, 180 days is a year. Men should not be the monsters that will chase women out of politics.

“This is the second time we are having a vibrant female Senator; the first was Senator Gbemisola Saraki from Kwara state. There is no doubt about it, Natasha is an outstanding voice in 10th Senate and NWF is proud of her. 

“Leadership should be dynamic to carry every one along, we expected  Akpabio to play a fatherly role and not offering selective leadership.

“The forum questions the grounds for the Senator’s suspension. What is her offence and when compared to other male Senators who have allegedly padded the budget and remain unpunished.?

Hajia Amina reiterated  that Senator Akpoti has the right to freedom of speech and should be allowed to speak out, stressing gagging her as it were was anti-democratic.

“Natasha’s outburst was as a result of cumulative effect, her rights has been trampled up for long. This is not the first attack on her, the other time she was humiliated by same Akpabio in the night-club saga.

“Suspending the only Senator representing Ebira people, is like ostracizing the entire descent from their country, this is a calculated attempt to short change Kogi people.

“Every state is represented by three Senators and you are suspending one out the 3 representing good people of Kogi for six months, while Akwa Ibom your state is intact.

“Simply because she exposed the sex icon, better still it is an  altercation between colleagues, recall that Akpabio was elected same way as Natasha, the only difference is Akpabio is the first amongst equals. It may interest us to know that  Natasha is eminently qualified to be the Senate President as well.

The Nation Women Forum also criticizes the Senate’s priorities, stating that at this critical period when the law makers are supposed to be making laws that will bring down the astronomical price of food stuff to make life worth living and stop Nigerians from suffocating, they are more focused on trivialities like seating arrangements instead of addressing the issues of poverty, hunger and insecurity bedeviling the country at the moment. 

“We call for Senate President Godswill Akpabio to relinquish his seat and allow his deputy, Sen. Barau to preside over this issue and the subsequent proceedings, pending the final determination of the case, you cannot be an arbiter in your own case.

“The Senate President is now a suspect and untill he is cleared of his serious allegation of sexual assault.

“The integrity of the Senate is at stake and the whole World is watching.

“This is not the first report against Akpabio, the first attemp was made on the former Managing Director of NDDC Joy Nunieh and the matter was swept under the carpet, plus the many more unreported such cases.  

“We reject your judgement, it is unfair, imagining the hasting nature of the suspension, one can see that the men dominated Senate want to give their own a soft-landing.”

The women Forum further carpeted other Senayors fro Kogi State for not coming to her aid at a time that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan needed them most, arguing it was a ploy to divide Kogi along tribal line.

“The Nation Women Forum has passed a Vote of Confidence on Senator Akpoti’s performance so far. 

“We are fully prepared to mobilize millions of women support for her to succeed. We demand justice and fairness for Sen. Akpoti and the people of Nigeria.”

By Charles Nwokedi

Last Thursday, March 6, 2025, will go down in history as one dark day in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Indeed, it was a dark day for Nigeria’s democracy as the Nigerian Senate, suspended one of its own, Senator Natasha Akpoti- Uduaghan, for violating the Standing Rules of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.

Fourteen days before the suspension, the elegant female lawmaker had an altercation with the President of the Senate, Sen Godswill Akpabio over a new sitting arrangement that did not go down well with her.

On getting into the hallowed chamber of the parliament that fateful day, Natasha found that she had been relocated from the seat allocated to her when she was elected to represent the Central Senatorial District of Kogi State. Since she had no prior knowledge of the change in the sitting arrangement, she could not understand the reason for the change but her attempt to raise a point of order to seek explanations met a stiff resistance.

Akpabio, the presiding officer ruled her out of order in a manner that suggested that there was more to the change of seat than the authorities were ready to divulge.

Enraged by this attitude, Natasha rose to her feet, took hold of the microphone and protested openly, alleging that her relocation to another seat was in bad faith.

As they say, hell knows no furry like a woman scorned. She stated her case so strongly and angrily that sone of her colleague legislators moved towards her to calm her frayed. nerves.

But unknown to her, the audacity with which she made that open protest had angered the authorities who saw it an unruly behaviour.

There were suggestions that Natasha must be suspended there and then but a higher reasoning prevailed and her case was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. But everyone knew that giving the committee the task of investigating Natasha”s alleged unruly behaviour was a mere formality.

Hence when the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee rushed through the assignment and submitted its report even without hearing from Natasha, it was clear that it had done a hatchet job.

The speedy consideration of the report and the unanimous endorsement of its recommendations were therefore, no surprises.

It is no longer news that Natasha has been suspended for six months without pay.

In addition, her office has been sealed and she must not be found anywhere near the National Assembly or participate in any legislative activity of the Senate. Like an outcast she is going to live the next six months all alone, except for family, friends, well wishers and constituents.

This is not only cruel but a miscarriage of justice and an abuse of power. It is simply a way of saying to every lawmaker: Don’t dare the Senate or else we give you the Natasha treatment.

It is a pity that this is happening in Africa’s largest democracy and inside the National Assembly, the supposed bastion of that democracy. It is unfortunate that the Red Chamber took a decision to suspend Natasha without looking at the circumstances leading to her open protest during plrmenary on February 20, 2025.

While it is true that the Senate Standing. Rules give the Presiding Officer (Akpabio) the prerogative to allocate seats to lawnakers, the sane Standing Rules prescribed that the Clerk of the Senate should notify the affected lawmakers that their seats would be (or have been) changed to avoid confusion.

Where exactly did Natasha go wrong? Is it because she took the bull by the horns when she found herself in a tight corner or is it the sexual harassment allegation she made against Akpabio that turned the tide against her.

The puppets in the Ethics, Privileges annd Public Petitions Committee, claimed that the formal petition Natasha submitted on the sexual harrasment scandal was dead on arrival but that is against the rule of natural justice.

At least she submitted it a record two times and it was twice rejected by the chamber. How could the Standing Rules of the Senate be so stringent that a female lawmaker cannot ventilate her grievances but a male presiding officer could sit in judgement over his own case?

After all said and done, one is tempted to believe that patriarchy, male hegemony and male chauvinism may have worked against Natasha in this melodrama.

It is also possible that party affiliation and the rivalry that goes with it may have also been one of the factors at play. Akpabio, the man with the gavel belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC) while Natasha belongs to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the main opposition party in the country.

Obviuisoy, the Senate went on an over- drive when it slammed a sux- month suoension on Natasha. Is Akpabio and his other colleagues not aware of court judgements that said the Senate or House of Representatives does not have the powers to suspend a member of either of the chambers for more than two weeks?

The leadership of the Senate should know that by suspending Natasha for six months, it has automatically shut out the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District from the National Assembly for that period. It unfair, undemocratic and a miscarriage of justice which must not be allowed to stand in a civilised country.

Charles Nwokedi, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has received the Ufuk Dialogue and Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) award in recognition of his contributions to youth empowerment and national development.

The Director General of the Committee of Youth on Mobilization and Sensitization (CYMS), Chief Obinna Nwaka, presented the award on behalf of the organizations to the Minister at his office in Abuja on Friday.

In his response, the Minister expressed his appreciation to his team for their collective efforts in advancing the Ministry’s objectives.

He also urged the Ministry’s staff and stakeholders to continue their support in ensuring that efforts to enhance youth opportunities and foster sustainable development in Nigeria are sustained.

Earlier, the CYMS Director General commended the Minister for his impactful initiatives that have significantly advanced youth development across the nation.

He also highlighted the Minister’s synergy with President Bola Tinubu, which has revitalized opportunities for Nigerian youth. “Your dedication to fostering a supportive environment for young people is commendable,” Nwaka stated.

Chief Nwaka further praised Olawande for acknowledging President Tinubu’s initiative in granting automatic employment to 774 young Nigerians through the National Health Fellows Program.

According to Nwaka, “This award is not just a recognition of your hard work but a testament to the ongoing commitment of the Ministry of Youth Development to building a brighter future for Nigeria’s next generation.”