By our reporter
As personnel from the Sergeant-at-Arms of the National Assembly, assisted by security agents, on Tuesday, September 23, reopened Office 205 in the National Assembly’s Senate wing, which was assigned to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the embattled yet defiant Kogi Central Senator (PDP) had only raw words for Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The reopening came after the senator had spent six months outside the premises, on account of a suspension slammed on her by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Senate following a much-publicised disagreement between her and Akpabio.
Speaking after arriving her office, Senator Natasha described the Senate President as not being more of a senator than her.
Her words promptly received heavyweight backing from popular activist lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
In a video shared on the official X account of an online paper, Sen. Natasha was heard accusing Akpabio of treating her like a servant.
Her words: “Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am and he treated me like I was his servant. We cannot cower in the face of injustice.”
Farotimi, who reacted to this, backed her, staying she was “a victim of Nigeria.”
On his official X account, the lawyer posted: “Partisan arguments are rarely of interest to me but on this issue, I stand with Senator Natasha.”
Senator Natasha’s office unsealing reportedly came after a meeting of the Senate leadership on Monday.
It comes ahead of the Senate’s scheduled resumption on October 7, 2025.
She was sent home last March in the wake of controversy, on February 10 this year, over sitting rearrangements in the Senate, ordered by Akpabio.
While the Senate fingered her for breaching its Standing Orders and so imposed the suspension on her, the outspoken senator opened up on what she alleged were bids by Akpabio to engage in immoral relations with her, a married woman, to which she allegedly refused, as reason for her ordeal.
Last July, she headed for court, with Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja,ordering her reinstatement to the legislative chamber, and slamming the suspension length as “excessive” even as the judge noted that it effectively denied her constituents of representation.
Senate cross-appealed an appeal filed by Sen. Natasha over her reinstatement, and failed to comply with the lower court’s orders.
National Assembly Clerk, through Acting Clerk Yahaya Danzaria, later stated that the suspension would remain till an expected judgment by the Court of Appeal.
However, the latest developments appear to have overtaken his view as Natasha is expected to be reinstated to the Senate when proceedings resume in October.
PHOTO CAPTION: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
