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Tag: Natasha

  • INEC notifies Natasha, Senate of recall petition

    INEC notifies Natasha, Senate of recall petition

    Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan yesterday got a memo from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    It is a notification to her of the receipt of petition from voters in her Constituency demanding her recall.

    The same notification was sent by the electoral agency to the leadership of the Senate.

    The Commission also unfolded plans to scrutinise the signatures of the petitioners to ascertain their authenticity.

    INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed in a statement that the addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of representatives of the petitioners, which were initially not attached, had been submitted to the commission.

    On Tuesday, the Commission had picked holes in the petition, pointing out that it failed to meet the standard because the addresses and phone numbers of the petitioners’ representatives were not provided as required by law.

    Exuding confidence after INEC’s confirmation that that aspect of recall requirements had been met, the petitioners said the recall request was meant to correct what they described as the error of wrong choice.

    Olumekun said:  “Further to the statement issued yesterday, Tuesday 25th March 2025, the Commission hereby confirms that the contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission, dated today Wednesday 26th March 2025.

    “As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the Senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address.

    “The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.

    “The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the Constituency.

    “This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent.”

    Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, is serving a six-month suspension for misconduct and abuse of the Senate rules after her seat was changed.

    She went ahead to make  allegations of sexual harassment  against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

    On Wednesday, Zubairu Yakubu, who wrote the petition, accompanied by former Education Minister Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions sitting to defend the allegations.

    However, the Committee threw out her petition, saying that the matter was already a subject of litigation.

    During the meeting, Dr Ezekwesili and Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) clashed, exchanging hot words.

    Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has been junketing between the United States and Europe, granting interview against Senate president.

    Why we are recalling senator, by constituents

    Kogi Central constituents held a rally at Okene in support of the recall, urging the commission to expedite action.

    The constituents under the aegis of Kogi Central Grassroots Movement were from the five local government areas constituting the senatorial district.

    Read Also: Time-table for nationwide congresses not from APC, says spokesman

    The Coordinator, AbdulHameed Jimoh, and  Secretary, Mohammed Abdullahi, accused the Akpoti-Uduaghan camp of fabricating videos and deliberately distorting information on her recall.

    Jimoh said: “We are appealing to Nigerians to ignore the lies of a few people on social media about our intention and pay visit to Kogi Central to see what is happening with the process.

    “She (Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan) accused the state government of being behind her recall when she knows that even those who were her strong loyalists in the (Kogi) Central have abandoned her.

    She went to the National Assembly to pursue her personal interest, not the interest of Kogi Central.”

    Jimoh alleged that last weekend, the senator’s camp sent some items to some people in Okene to convince them to come out the next day for a protest.

    He said: “They imported people from outside the district to join her very few and reluctant aides and called them Kogi Central constituents.”

    Jimoh said  Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has put the senatorial district in the eye of the storm for the wrong reason, adding that having dragged the district in the mud, there should be a remedy.

    He added: “The recall process, therefore, is a necessity and deliberate attempt by the people of Kogi Central to tell the whole world that they are not in support of the unruly behaviour of the senator at the assembly.

    “She should leave the stage to face her strange activism and quarrels so that we can have quality representation.”

    Natasha hails Ezekwesili

    Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who saluted Dr Ezekwesili for supporting her, described the former minister as a champion of accountability and an icon of visionary leadership.

    In a post on her X handle, she tweeted: “Ma’am, I apologise for the insults. Know you took them for me… for us … as a mother and as a leader. Know that you are a true icon of integrity, courage, and visionary leadership.

    “Your unwavering commitment to good governance, education, and democracy continues to inspire generations. A champion of accountability. Nigerians appreciate you. I celebrate your brilliance, resilience, and selfless service. You are a true icon of integrity.”

    Also on X,  Dr Ezekwesili replied: “A torrent of insults from any source is but a little price to pay in our resolve to see a Nigerian that becomes.

    “Our daughters and granddaughters must never inherit battles and wars we should have fought and won for them. An unjust society that silences women and vulnerable people can never become.”

    Also yesterday, Dr Ezekwesili, who spoke on television, said the conduct of senators at the hearing reflected the entrenched gender discrimination.

    She added: “That attitude pervades the way our lawmakers are behaving. I was actually very pleased with what happened yesterday (Tuesday) because now it is in the public domain what women endure in many instances, and the rest of society may know little about it but has not focused on it.

    “The society should not allow any group or persons, no matter how powerful they are, to shut the voices of accountability.”

  • Natasha denies receiving alleged N500m from Akpabio

    Natasha denies receiving alleged N500m from Akpabio

    Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has denied claims she received ₦500 million from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

    The Kogi Central senator described the claim as a complete fabrication designed to mislead the public and damage her reputation.

    In a statement on Wednesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan denied ever receiving such funds and emphasized that no such transaction ever took place.

    “Let me be clear: I have never received ₦500 million or any amount from Senator Akpabio. 

    “At no time did I make any statement suggesting such. This is nothing but a deliberate falsehood aimed at causing unnecessary controversy,” she said.

    The senator expressed concerns over the increasing spread of fake news and politically motivated falsehoods, calling on the public to disregard the claims. 

    She warned that the propagation of lies for personal or political advantage poses a significant threat to the country’s democratic values.

    “It is unfortunate that certain individuals are willing to fabricate such blatant lies. I urge Nigerians to verify information before believing or sharing it,” she added.

    Read Also: 250,000 sign up to recall Natasha

    Akpoti-Uduaghan also challenged those behind the rumor to provide any credible evidence backing their claims, maintaining that she has always upheld the highest standards of integrity and accountability in public service.

    “Falsehoods like this are unacceptable. My focus remains on serving my constituents with transparency and dedication, not engaging in baseless distractions,” she stated.

    The senator called on security agencies to investigate the source of the misinformation and take necessary action against those responsible. 

    She reaffirmed commitment to the principles of truth and justice, declaring, “Defamation and character assassination should have no place in our society. I am confident that the truth will always prevail.”

  • UPDATED: Why Judge withdrew from Natasha’s suit against Akpabio, others

    UPDATED: Why Judge withdrew from Natasha’s suit against Akpabio, others

    Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja has withdrawn from a suit filed by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and others to stop her investigation by the Senate over alleged misconduct.

    Justice Egwuatu, who announced his withdrawal during Tuesday’s proceedings, cited allegations of bias made against his court by one of the defendants.

    At the mention of the case on Tuesday, the Judge, after allowing lawyers to parties to announce their names, said he would no longer continue to hear the case in view of the allegation of bias.

    In a brief ruling, the judge said: “Justice is rooted in confidence in the court. Once a litigant expresses his believe that there is bias or likelihood of bias on the part of the judge, it will not be in the interest of justice for the judge to continue. 

    “One of the defendants in this matter has expressed such believe in writing.

    “In that circumstances, the honourable thing for the court to do is to desist from the conduct of the matter. Accordingly, I recuse myself from this matter.

    “The case file is accordingly forwarded to my lord, the chief judge for further directive,” Justice Egwuatu said.

    Listed as defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025 are the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuem.

    Justice Egwuatu, on March 19, vacated an order he made on  March 4 that any action taken by the Senate and others during the pendency of the suit would be “null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

    The Judge, in vacating the order while ruling on a motion filled by the Senate,agreed with lawyers to the defendants that the order ought to be vacated.

    Lawyer to the Senate, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN) had, while arguing the motion, contended that the said the order “was vague, ambiguous and lacking in specificity as it did not specify which of the parties it was targeted at or referring to and what actions it related to.

    Ojukwu argued that the order, in the form in which it was granted, “refers to all actions of whatever nature, without any limitation, taken by both the plaintiff/ respondent and the defendants.”

    He further argued that the law prohibits the granting of a vague order by a court of law, noting that the order, which was made exparte, was made to last until the determination of the suit.

    Ojukwu added: “By Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is one of the Houses of the National Assembly established to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “The said order number 4 of 4th March, 2025 as granted, effectively restrains the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from conducting any of its legislative duties in accordance with its constitutional functions.”

    Read Also: JUST IN: Why Judge withdrew from Sen. Natasha’s suit against Akpabio, others

    Ojukwu argued that enforcing the said order, as granted, would result in a constitutional crisis and anarchy, as the entire legislative duties of the Senate would be made to grind to a halt.

    “The order offends the doctrine of separation of powers as enshrined in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “This honourable court lacks the jurisdiction to restrain parliament from conducting its constitutional duties,” he said.

    Ojukwu claimed that the court was misled into granting the said  order and  the court to hold that the entire proceedings of March 4 upon which that breach occured was in nullity.

    Lawyers to the other defendants –  Charles Yoila (for the Clerk),  Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN (for the Senate President) and Umeh Kalu, SAN (for Imasuem) agreed with Ojukwu’s submissions.

  • 250,000 sign up to recall Natasha

    250,000 sign up to recall Natasha

    • INEC gets documents

    No fewer than 250,000 registered voters in Kogi Central Senatorial District yesterday submitted a recall petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    The total number of registered voters in the district is 580,000.

    The petition was received by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, at the agency’s head office in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The constituents accused the Senator of gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process and deceitful behaviour that has embarrassed the people of the district.

    The petitioners said they were acting in pursuant to Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions.

    The submission of the petition to INEC followed the lifting of the order stopping the commission from receiving it by the court.

    Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 for “gross misconduct” after a dispute over sitting arrangements with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who she later accused of sexual harassment.

    The five-page petition signed by the lead petitioner, Salihu Habib, demanded her recall over alleged recklessness, dishonesty and misplaced priorities.

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    Habib said: “We urge INEC, as a constitutionally mandated electoral body, to act with urgency and impartiality in processing this petition, and we look forward to INEC’s impartial actions in this regard in the interest of democratic accountability, governance integrity and the peace and progress of the good people of Kogi Central Senatorial District, Kogi State and our great country, Nigeria.”

    The recall process, according to the guidelines, is in three stages.

    The first stage is the collation of signatures of more than half of registered voters in the district calling for recall.

    The second is the submission of the register and register of signatories to INEC for verification.

    The third is the conduct of referendum by the commission through a ‘yes or no’ vote.

    Following the yes vote, a Certificate of Recall is sent to the Senate President for the recall of the affected Senator.

    However, according to commentators, it is a complex process.

    I never apologised to Senate, says senator

    Akpoti-Uduaghan denied that she had apologised to the Senate, following the controversy that led to her suspension.

    The senator said in a statement that she was facing “coordinated efforts to suppress her voice” in the National Assembly.

    She alleged that certain individuals were spreading false narratives to manipulate public perception, adding that she would not be intimidated.

    She said: “The purported reports circulating that I have apologised to the Senate and retracted my position are completely untrue. I stand firmly by my words and actions, and I have not issued any apology to the Senate or anyone regarding this matter,” she said.

  • UPDATED: INEC receives petition for Natasha’s recall

    UPDATED: INEC receives petition for Natasha’s recall

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received the petition of constituents of Kogi Central for the recall of the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. 

    The petition was submitted with over 250,000 constituents’ signatures, out of about 480,000 registered voters in Kogi Central, which meets INEC’s requirement of 50 per cent plus one.

    The petition, presented by Ms. Charity Ijese, on behalf of the constituents, was received at INEC office in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday morning and stamped accordingly. 

    In their petition, titled: “Constituents’ Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence”, the constituents said: “We, the undersigned, being duly registered voters of the Kogi Central Senatorial District, hereby invole our rights under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to formally demand the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate.

    “In particular, this petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is brought pursuant to Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions.”

    Read Also: Natasha: Yahaya Bello vindicated, says Karimi

    They affirmed that Akpoti-Uduaghan emerged by virtue of an appeal court decision in October, 2024 but said the petition arose as a result of their loss of confidence in her representation. 

    “This petition arises from our loss of confidence in the Senator on the grounds of gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process, and a pattern of deceitful behaviour that has not only embarassed the people of Kogi Central but has also tarnished the integrity of the Nigerian Senate and our nation’s democratic institutions.

    “By this petition, which we have made sure is signed by more than half of the registered voters in Kogi Central, we hereby demand that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately commence the constitutional and procedural process of recall to remove Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from office and declare her seat vacant,” the constituents said.

    While addressing the media after the submission of the petition, Ijese, flanked by many other constituents, affirmed their determination to see the recall process through. 

  • Defiant Natasha denies apologising to Senate

    Defiant Natasha denies apologising to Senate

    Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) has dismissed reports she apologised to the Senate over the controversy that led to her suspension.

    In a statement on Monday, March 24, 2025, the lawmaker described the claims as “false and misleading,” reaffirming her stance on the issue that resulted in her six-month suspension.

    “The reports suggesting that I have apologised to the Senate and retracted my position are completely untrue. I stand firmly by my words and actions and have not issued any apology to the Senate or anyone regarding this matter,” she stated.

    She condemned those spreading the misinformation, accusing them of attempting to distort the truth and mislead the public.

    The senator, who was suspended following a heated exchange with Senate leadership, maintained that she remains committed to her principles and defense of her constituents’ rights. 

    She further alleged that certain individuals were trying to manipulate public perception with fabricated statements.

    Read Also: Natasha: Yahaya Bello vindicated, says Karimi

    “I urge the public to disregard these rumors and publications as they do not represent my position. My commitment remains to truth, justice, and the people I represent,” she stated. 

    Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan also expressed concerns over what she described as an orchestrated campaign to silence her voice in the National Assembly.

    “This is not just about me; it is about the integrity of our democracy. I will not be intimidated or forced into submission through false narratives.”

    She urged her constituents and Nigerians to remain vigilant against misinformation, emphasising that any official statement from her would only come from her verified channels.

  • Natasha: Yahaya Bello vindicated, says Karimi

    Natasha: Yahaya Bello vindicated, says Karimi

    • From Olaide Oyelude, Lokoja

    Senator Sunday Karimi has said that the controversy involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the National Assembly has vindicated former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

    Natasha is challenging the recall initiated by her Kogi Central constituents over what they described as poor representation.

    She is currently under suspension for unruly behaviour at plenary.

    Karimi, who spoke with reporters in Lokoja, the state capital, yesterday, said: “Other Kogi lawmakers and I played major roles in ensuring that the state was not brought to ridicule, but no amount of reasoning could prevail. Our intervention was rebuffed.”

    Karimi recalled that the Kogi Central Senator had several running battles with Bello, stressing that recent developments only vindicated him.

    Karimi lamented that, in spite of appeals and advice, which fell on deaf ears, it was unfortunate that the needless embarassment could still be brought to the state and the nation at large.

    His words: “Sen. Natasha has not only rubbished the perception of the state, from the events happening now in Nigeria, she has also embarrassed the entire country.”

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    Also at the weekend, Amnesty International called for an “immediate and impartial investigation” into the sexual harassment allegation against Akpabio by Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    Amnesty International country Director for Nigeria Isa Sanusi said in a statement that the gravity of the allegations necessitates a thorough and unbiased probe, warning that inaction could have severe consequences.

    He said: “The National Assembly must not continue to look away while the allegations remain and are being bizarrely trivialised, unaddressed and ignored,” the statement reads.

    “Blatant failure of the authorities to investigate the allegations raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will have wider devastating consequences, that include perpetuating a system that makes it increasingly difficult for survivors of sexual harassment to get justice while allowing perpetrators to get away with gross human rights violations.

    “This is one case that the Nigerian authorities can use to show that there is zero tolerance for sexual harassment — no matter who is involved.

    “The fear of not being believed, or even being blamed, is already creating a dangerous culture of silence that prevents women who faced sexual harassment from seeking justice. The tide of sexual impunity against women and girls must be turned now.”

  • Natasha: Balance your stories, Omokri urges, BBC, others

    Natasha: Balance your stories, Omokri urges, BBC, others

    A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has appealed to foreign media, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, Sky News, and Deutsche Welle, to balance their stories on the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and her allegation of sexual harassment against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

    A flurry of reactions has greeted the allegation, with the Kogi Central senator utilising several media outlets, including influential foreign platforms to push her case.

    However, Omokri cautioned the foreign media to tread carefully, given the background of Akpoti-Uduaghan, who he claimed had levied false allegations against other prominent citizens.

    “I am not sure that it serves the public interest of justice to publish Senator Natasha Akpoti’s current allegations against Nigeria’s Senate President without also informing your viewers that this woman has a history of making false and unfounded allegations after altercations with men,” he said in a statement on Saturday, adding, “In the interest of transparency, please balance your coverage.”

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    Omokri said he was once a victim of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s false allegation, “Senator Natasha Akpoti, whom you have repeatedly given a platform, falsely accused me of the same offence for which she now accuses Senator Godswill Akpabio in 2021, after an altercation with me.”

    He said she retracted, then deleted her accusations when he proved with unimpeachable evidence, including his passport stamp and a first-class British Airways ticket, that he was not in Nigeria during a May 6, 2014, state banquet for Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, which was the date and time when she falsely claimed he sexually harassed her.

    “On the contrary, my boss, then President Goodluck Jonathan, had sent me as a Special Envoy to the United States in the heat of the Chibok Girls’ abduction and the ensuing #BringBackOurGirls campaign, which involved then-U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. From there, I flew to see my children in California,” he explained.

    He said he accepted an out-of-court settlement and a hefty monetary compensation following her fiancée’s intervention and a clergyman’s intervention to get her off the hook of a defamation suit he instituted to clear his name.

    He stated, “After retracting her lies and deleting the video she had made levelling her accusations against me and peddling sundry other untruths, her then fiancée, Mr Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, now her husband, called me on a three-way call with a major Christian clergyman and appealed to me, as a Pastor, to accept an out-of-court settlement, which I did. I was subsequently paid considerable money, which was styled as an offering.”

    Omokri said while he could not ascertain the truth of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegation against Akpabio, he opined that the claim was suspect because of her record of levelling false accusations against prominent persons.

    “I am not a statistician. However, if you ask me, I would suspect that the chances that a former Presidential spokesman, a Cabinet Minister, and a Senate President all sexually harassed the same woman are slim to none,” he said, adding, “Consequently, I urge you to be conscious that getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism.”

  • Court injunction: Try another strategy, we will recall you, Constituents tell Natasha

    Court injunction: Try another strategy, we will recall you, Constituents tell Natasha

    Residents of Kogi Central have criticized Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents the district, after she obtained a court injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting a recall petition against her. 

    According to the constituents, the legal move reflects her acknowledgment that “she is as good as gone.”

    The residents, drawn from the five local government areas in the district, argued that questionable intentions often lead to irreversible mistakes. 

    “This is exactly the case with Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, even in the way her court injunction was framed,” they said.

    In a statement issued on Friday by the Kogi Central Renaissance Assembly, the constituents accused the senator of acting out of desperation by dismissing the recall signatures as fictitious—a claim they believe should have been left for INEC to verify during the recall process.

    “It is laughable that the same person who has called the recall process a sham is the same person that has gone to tell the court to restrain the electoral umpire from receiving or acting on the petition, even when she says the signatures are fictitious.

    “We understand your plight. This is last-minute desperation to save yourself the embarrassment of a recall. But we, Constituents of Kogi Central, insist that you have already embarrassed both yourself and the District, and home you shall come.

    “The courts are for everybody. You can’t force yourself on us. Even you should know that this your course of action is dead on arrival,” the statement, signed by the Coordinator, KCRA, Adeku Joshua; and Secretary, Maleek Sule, said.

    The Kogi Central indigenes insisted that they would follow the recall process through in order to redeem their image, the image of the state and that of Nigeria at large.

    Read Also: Court halts INEC from processing recall petition against Senator Natasha

    “We, Ebiras, are not enablers of blackmail and unruly behaviour. We stand by this recall and will see it through. The world should know that we are people of integrity. Enough of embarrassing the entire country on the world stage over ridiculous allegations backed by no evidence,” they declared.

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State had, on Friday, granted an interim injunction restraining INEC, its staff, or agents from receiving, accepting, or acting on any petition containing what the Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan called “fictitious signatures of purported members of the Kogi Central Senatorial District.”

  • Natasha: calls for recall intensify at home front

    Natasha: calls for recall intensify at home front

    • More groups denounce senator for misdemeanour
    •  From Olaide Oyelude, Lokoja

    Two groups – Kogi Central Women Development Association and Kogi Central Political Frontier – yesterday joined the calls for the recall of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the National Assembly.

    The two groups are from the embattled senator’s district.

    They addressed reporters in Lokoja, the state capital, in support of the current moves to recall Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    The spokesperson for the Kogi Central Women Development Association, Christy Ijese, who spoke on behalf of other members, said: “A lot has happened since the senator representing Kogi Central District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was suspended by the Senate over gross misconduct and unruly behaviour for six legislative months. We deem it appropriate to speak on our position on the issue.

    “Firstly, we, the Kogi Central Women Development Association, are deeply alarmed that what began as a simple change of seat degenerated so fast into sexual harassment claims by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

    “It isn’t in our place to decide whether her claims are valid or not, but it is within our purview to evaluate the actions she has taken so far and how it could potentially undermine the genuine efforts of other female politicians in the zone.

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    “As the saying goes, he who accuses must prove. We had expected Senator Natasha to have presented a petition before the Senate on her claims, backed by solid evidence, instead of going on television to make a claim she’s yet to either file in court or provide evidence for.

    “Senator Natasha must understand that being a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a privilege and a serious business, not a show business…”

    Also, the spokesman for Kogi Central Political Frontier, Jamal Kamardeen said: “…A recent review of events that led to the suspension of …Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for gross misconduct and unruly behaviour has not only cast a shadow on the people of the district but also spurred us to question if truly the interest of the people of Kogi Central is duly protected in this matter.

    “The National Asembly is an esteemed arm of government that gives voice to the totality of Nigerians through meaningful representation of constituents whose primary interest is promoted, protected and preserved through an elected representative…

    “A simple apology would have sufficed while she pursues fair hearing on the sexual harassment petition before the Ethics and Privileges Committee or better still go to court to file a suit on sexual harassment with the conviction that she has concrete evidence to get justice on the matter.

    “For the record, after her suspension, there has been no formal communication between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the people of Kogi Central, not even a town hall meeting, as was the routine when she was seeking the support and votes of constituents.”