Ex-VP links suspension of opposition voices to wider threats against Nigeria’s democracy ahead of 2027 polls
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has hailed the reopening of the office of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the National Assembly as a victory for democracy and a triumph of collective resistance against what he described as tyranny.
Atiku, in a strongly worded reaction, said the unsealing of the Kogi Central lawmaker’s office proved that the voice of reason had prevailed. According to him, the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, the political struggles of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in Rivers State, and the intimidation of lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly were not isolated occurrences but part of a deliberate effort to weaken opposition voices and subvert Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
He alleged that the current administration had turned state institutions into tools of oppression, weaponising them against critics and the opposition in a bid to compromise the will of the people as the 2027 general elections draw closer. “When we stand together, we can triumph over tyranny,” the former Vice President declared, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant in safeguarding democracy.
The development came as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan returned to her office six months after her suspension by the Senate leadership in March. On Tuesday, her office, located in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing, was officially reopened by the Deputy Director/Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, allowing her to resume access.
The lawmaker, who appeared earlier in the day at the FCT High Court for a defamation case filed against her by the Federal Government, was greeted with cheers by supporters who accompanied her to the National Assembly complex. Despite the Senate being on recess until October 7, the reopening of her office was celebrated by her constituents and women’s groups, some of whom have petitioned the United Nations over what they described as unfair treatment of the female legislator.
However, her return has not been without controversy. Speaking to journalists shortly after resuming her office, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of treating her like a slave and a domestic servant while she was discharging her duties in the chamber. She alleged that her suspension and other forms of harassment were part of a broader attempt to silence her.
The Senate President swiftly rejected the claims. Through his media aide, Kenny Okolugbo, Akpabio dismissed the accusations as false and unfair, insisting that the lawmaker had been accorded significant privileges since her inauguration in November 2023.
Okolugbo argued that by November 20, barely weeks after she was sworn in, she had already been appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content. By January 2024, she became a member of the International Public Parliamentary Union and ECOWAS parliamentary committees, in addition to sponsoring three bills. He further noted that during her suspension, one of her bills establishing a Federal Medical Centre in Kogi State was passed into law, a feat, he said, that many senators had not achieved.
He questioned how such opportunities could be described as enslavement, stressing that the Senate would, at its resumption in October, take a final decision on whether the lawmaker would fully resume her legislative duties or remain on partial suspension.
The unfolding development continues to generate debate across political circles, with opposition leaders framing it as a democratic victory while the Senate leadership insists it has acted fairly. As October 7 approaches, all eyes remain on the Red Chamber for clarity on Akpoti-Uduaghan’s full reinstatement.
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