By Henry Umoru & Bayo Wahab

The Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months amid the sexual harassment allegation she made against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The decision, made on Thursday, March 6, 2024, came after a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

As part of the suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s salary and security details would be withdrawn, and she would be barred from accessing the National Assembly premises.

Her office would also be locked, and her legislative aides would not receive their salaries during this period. The Senate further ruled out reconsidering her suspension until the six-month term ends or she submits a formal apology.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension follows a heated confrontation in the Senate, where she protested the reassignment of her seat by Akpabio. She arrived at a plenary session to find her nameplate removed and her seat reassigned, which she argued was an attempt to silence her.

Her suspension was put to a vote after she was denied the opportunity to speak, with the majority siding with the Ethics Committee’s report.

Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro supported the committee’s recommendation, stating that her actions warranted disciplinary action. He likened the move to “correcting a child,” referencing Nigerian cultural norms.

To appeal the suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan must submit a written apology to the Senate for allegedly violating its rules.

The Ethics Committee originally recommended a six-month suspension but later reduced it to three months after the Senate considered the plea of Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), who had requested a reduction.

A heated confrontation unfolded during a Senate plenary session two Thursdays ago when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan protested the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.




https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/breaking-senator-natasha-suspended-for-six-months/