By Prosper Mene
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a scathing rebuke against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Nigerian Senate, demanding the immediate reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, whose six-month suspension expired on September 6, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, the opposition party described the ongoing obstruction of her return as “malicious,” “illegal,” and a “flagrant affront” to Nigeria’s democratic principles.
The suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, came from allegations of “unruly and disruptive” behavior in the Senate chamber earlier this year, including a heated dispute over seating arrangements on February 20, 2025.
The lawmaker, one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, was also at the center of controversy after accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim that the Senate leadership denied and used as part of the justification for her disciplinary action.
During her suspension, which began on March 6, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan was stripped of her salary and access to her office, and legislative aides, measures the ADC labeled as “institutional mugging” rather than legitimate discipline.
The party emphasized that the suspension was imposed by the Senate without judicial oversight, and with its fixed term now lapsed, any further barriers to her resumption constitute an abuse of power.”The African Democratic Congress observes with deep concern the continued obstruction of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her seat in the Nigerian Senate after the completion of her six-month suspension,” read the statement signed by ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
“We consider this development not only malicious but also deeply injurious to the spirit of our constitutional democracy, especially the right to dissent.
The ADC warned that the Senate’s actions reflect an “anti-democratic temper” under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, aimed at silencing opposition and dissenting voices.
Highlighting the low representation of women in Nigerian politics—only 2.7% in the Senate, one of the worst rates in Africa, the party positioned Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case as a critical test for women’s political participation. “The ADC, therefore, stands firmly in defense of democratic principles and women’s political participation. We therefore demand that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her duties immediately,” Abdullahi added.
As of Wednesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan remains barred from legislative activities, prompting widespread criticism from opposition parties, women’s rights advocates, and constituents in Kogi State.
