- Safiu Kehinde
Kogi state lawmaker, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has again slammed the leadership of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over her suspension, declaring that the former Akwa-Ibom State govenor is not more of a Senator than she is.
Akpoti-Uduaghan stated this while addressing newsmen following the National Assembly’s unsealing of her office after the completion of her six-month suspension.
Reflecting on the six months period of her suspension, the lawmaker, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, lashed at Akpabio over what she described as an illegal suspension and sheer display of injustice.
Akpoti-Uduaghan accused the ex-Akwa-Ibom governor of treating her like a domestic servant and running the Red Chamber like a dictator.
“In everything, it just shows that sometimes you have to put these situations into 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 is not a governor of this place. He treated me as if I was a servant or a domestic staff in his house.
“It is very unfortunate that at this time after so many years of democracy, we will have a National Assembly being run by such dictatorship. It is totally unacceptable.” she said.
While expressing her delight to be back, the Kogi lawmaker disclosed that she still fully performed her legislative duties as a Senator despite her suspension.
“As for me, I’m glad to be here. Even though we have been illegally suspended, in no day have I hesitated in effectively carried out my duties as a Senator of Kogi Central to the very best of my capacity.
“No day went by without me looking out for opportunities either in terms of bringing infrastructure and projects to my people and even jobs wherever I could because I didn’t want them to suffer the neglect and vacuum that was created by this injustice.” Akpoti-Uduaghan said.
She expressed her gratitude to everyone who stood by her in the course of her suspension, including her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan; former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, amongst others.
“It’s amazing what we had to survive, and I give God Almighty the glory and my deepest appreciation to the good people of Kogi Central, Kogi State, and Nigeria at large.
“My husband, I love you dearly. I pray all men support their wives as much as you have supported me. And my children, thank you for your sacrifices.
“I thank people like Aunty Oby Ezekwesili, Sister Aisha (Yesufu), Mama B, Peter, and many others. Dr Abiola, Yemi of EnoughisEnough, Uncle Femi Falana, and many Nigerians I can’t even call.” She said.