- Safiu Kehinde
Members of the Nigerian Senate from opposition parties have paid a visit to suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, at her home.
The four-man delegate led by Seriake Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, visited the embattled Kogi lawmaker and her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Friday.
This, according to report, was part of the ongoing efforts to resolve the escalating dispute that led to her six-month suspension. as the controversy surrounding her suspension continues to stir national debate.
Natasha, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was suspended on Thursday after being found guilty of gross misconduct and violation of the Senate standing rule.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions had recommended the suspension weeks after her outburst and clash with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over seat arrangement.
The clash would result to Natasha accusing Akpabio of sexual harrasment which has sparked widespread debate and drawn sharp criticism from several quarters, including women’s rights groups and civil society organisations.
Dickson, who disclosed the visitation in a post on his X handle was a member of the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee that recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
Speaking during the visitation, the former Bayelsa governor explained that his engagement with the Tax Reform Bills had kept him away from Senate proceedings on the day of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
“The public may recall that, for the past 3 days, I was attending the 3-day workshop on the Tax Reform Bills which started on Wednesday 5th of March and ended this evening, Friday 7th of March,” Dickson stated.
He added that this was the reason he was absent from the committee’s meeting during the time of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
“I was not notified of the emergency seating yesterday,” he continued.
Dickson, in the post on his X handle, said the visit was part of a longstanding tradition among senators to support one another, especially during challenging moments.
“As humans, senators have their low and high moments, and it is a tradition for Senators to support each other during these moments,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the delegate offered words of encouragement, prayers, and advice on a quick resolution to the issues surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
Dickson assured that he would engage with other colleagues in the Senate leadership to discuss possible interventions and work towards resolving the matter.
“Having heard more from her and her husband for the first time, I will discuss with other colleagues on how to intervene and engage with the leadership of the Senate to resolve the issues as soon as possible,” he said.