- Senator vows not to apologise, says suspension fraudulent
- Court to hear case Oct. 27
Embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was yesterday granted access into her office at the National Assembly premises, six months and two weeks after her suspension from the Senate.
She moved into the office located at Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing after it was unsealed by a Sergeant-At-Arms earlier in the day.
Sealing of her office was part of the decision of the Senate when she was suspended on March 6 during plenary.
Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that she would never apologise for her actions as demanded by the Senate and ordered by the court.
The senator was accompanied by her supporters, who were barred from accessing the complex.
However, the supporters later converged on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, where hearing was to resume in the case instituted against her by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
On 22 July, the Kogi Central senator had attempted to gain access into the National Assembly premises, but she was prevented by security operatives.
Although she informed the Senate about her readiness to return to the chambers after the six months lapsed, the Clerk of the National Assembly clarified that she cannot resume because the case she instituted has not been disposed of by the court.
After she gained entrance into the premises yesterday, the police fired tear gas to disperse her supporters who attempted to move into the premises.
Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan told reporters that there was a plot to compel her to apologise as a condition for lifting the ban on her on October 7.
But she vowed never to do so, saying that she would not apologise for injustice.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said: “I’m going to be quite limited with what I will say but in weeks to come, I will have much to say.
“The only thing I would like to comment on is a sentence I read on the papers today, like I did mention. I have not been officially communicated about the unsealing of my office.
“The last communication I received from the Clerk of the National Assembly was that I will not be allowed to resume because the matter was still pending at the Appeal Court.
“So, I am still awaiting the letter because it’s very important to understand the conditions that they might set illegally concerning the opening of my office because like I said, I read in the papers, I think it’s Vanguard to be specific, that a leadership meeting was held yesterday and the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, upon resumption on the 7th of October would raise a motion calling on me to apologise.
“So, I am actually worried as to what apology they expect from me. I can’t apologise for an injustice.”
She added: “May I remind the good people of Nigeria that the document that led to my illegal suspension, which is the recommendation which Senator Neda Imasuen read, was actually written by the Office of the Senate President and the signatures that endorsed the recommendation were not willful signatures.
“There was only a sheet that was attached and that means that the entire document that pronounced my suspension was tainted with fraud.
“So, this is just one illegality upon the other and I think in Nigeria, we should reject such things. I think it’s actually appalling that such amount of illegality and fraud can occur in the National Assembly.
“So, if they are expecting me to apologise, I am sorry I don’t have these words and if that is the condition for opening this office, then, I think we have a long dance to make.
“I know how much we have had to face and survive in the past six months and most of it that we survived happened in the full glare of Nigerians.
“From the unjust suspension to the recall. We survived the recall, we survived the blockage of roads and waterways into Kogi that we had to fly in through using the helicopter. We survived the blackmail from the so-called crazy lady on Facebook.
“It’s amazing what we had to survive. To God Almighty be the glory and my deepest appreciation goes to the good people of Kogi Central, Kogi State and Nigeria at large.
“My husband, my love, I want to say this: I love you dearly and I pray all men should support their wives as much as you have supported me and my children. Thank you for your sacrifices.
“So, in everything, it just shows that sometimes, it’s good to put the institutions to test. We can’t bow down in the face of injustice.
“No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He’s not a governor of this place and he treated me as if I was his servant or a domestic staff in his house.
“It’s very unfortunate that at this time after so many years of democracy, we would have a National Assembly being run by such dictatorship. It’s totally unacceptable.
“As for me, I’m glad to be here and even though we had been illegally suspended, no day have I hesitated in effectively carrying out my duties as a senator representing Kogi Central to the very best of my capacity.
“Not one day went by without me looking out for opportunities, either in terms of bringing infrastructure or projects to my people and even jobs wherever I could because I didn’t want them to suffer the neglect and the vacuum that was created by this injustice.
Atiku: reason has prevailed
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who reacted to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s resumption on Twitter, said reason has prevailed.
He said in a statement that the voice of reason has prevailed at last with the unsealing of the office. Atiku said although the period Kogi Central was denied of representation in the Senate can never be reclaimed, her struggle has not been in vain.
Atiku said: “It has proven, once again, that when we stand together, we can triumph over tyranny.”
Court reschedules Senator Natasha’s trial for October 27
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has postponed the senator’s trial till October 27.
Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned before the court on June 19 on a three-count charge.
She was accused of defamation and harmful imputation in relation to her statements against the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
On her arraignment, she pleaded not guilty, following which Justice Chisoba Oji granted her bail in the sum of N50million and a surety in like sum.
The case was adjourned till September 23 for the commencement of trial.
However, at the mention of the case yesterday, the prosecution lawyer, David Kaswe informed the court about the prosecution’s readiness for the commencement of trial.
Kaswe said the prosecution was ready to open its case, adding that its first witness, a Superintendent of Police, Abdulhafeez Garba, was in court for that purpose.
However, when he sought the court’s permission to invite the witness to the witness box, defence lawyer, Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN), objected on the grounds that his client had filed a motion challenging the competence of the charge and the court’s jurisdiction.
Kaswe, an official of the Federal Ministry of Justice, told the court that he was not personally served with the motion, which the defence claimed to have served on the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
At that point, Justice Oji scanned through the case file and confirmed that the prosecution was served through the Office of the AGF.
The judge subsequently directed the prosecution to respond to the application, which she elected to determine before taking any further steps in the case and adjourned till October 27 for hearing.
Natasha is, in count one of the charge, accused of making harmful imputation which she knew would harm the reputation of Akpabio, by claiming he plotted with Yahaya Bello, to kill her.
In count two, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making a similar harmful imputation, knowing that it will harm the reputation of Yahaya Bello.
She is, in count three, accused of making another imputation, which she knew would harm the reputation of Akpabio by associating him with the death of one Miss Imoren Iniubong.
