By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
PDP Condemns Senate’s Attempt to Stop Natasha’s Resumption as Unconstitutional in Nigeria
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the decision of the National Assembly to prevent Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her seat, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of democratic rights in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP described the action as a deliberate move by the Senate leadership under Godswill Akpabio to silence the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District by denying them representation.
According to the PDP, the refusal to allow Akpoti-Uduaghan resume after serving her six-month suspension amounts to a breach of the 1999 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the Senate.
The party warned that such actions pose a direct threat to democracy and stability in Nigeria.
The statement further alleged that the decision was part of wider attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to weaken opposition voices.
It also linked the controversy to gender-based intimidation, noting that women in politics often face targeted efforts to limit their participation.
The PDP demanded that Senate President Akpabio address the allegations surrounding the matter and insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan had already completed her suspension.
It urged Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Yahaya Danzaria, to withdraw his letter barring her return and maintain neutrality in his position.
The party also called on international democracy institutions and human rights groups to condemn what it described as an attack on representation and the rule of law in Nigeria. It advised Akpoti-Uduaghan to disregard the letter and prepare to resume her legislative duties without hindrance.
However, the Senate insists otherwise. In a letter dated September 4, 2025, Danzaria acknowledged her resumption notice but maintained that her suspension remains valid until her ongoing appeal against the Senate is resolved in court, stressing that the matter remains sub judice.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, following a row over her refusal to accept a reassigned seat during plenary.
The suspension, recommended by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, also removed her aides, salaries, and office privileges.
The lawmaker has maintained that her suspension was politically motivated and connected to a petition she filed accusing Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment—an allegation dismissed by the Senate. She insists that a court judgment has already been delivered in her favour.
An earlier attempt by the senator to return to the chamber in July ended in confrontation, with security operatives preventing her entry despite the presence of her supporters outside the National Assembly complex.
