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    SERAP Demands Immediate Return of Akpoti-Uduaghan to Senate

    By No Comments3 Mins Read
    • Safiu Kehinde

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) group has demanded the immediate return of the embattled Kogi lawmaker, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to the Senate.

    NPO earlier Reported that the National Assembly had ruled out Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return despite the completion of her six months suspension.

    The legislative chamber, in a letter issued by its Acting Clerk, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, and dated September 4, 2025, had ruled out the lawmaker’s return despite the Senate’s acknowledgement of her letter notifying the red chamber about her completion of the suspension and imminent return.

    Danzaria had maintained that her six-month suspension remains in force pending the outcome of a Court of Appeal case she instituted against the Senate.

    Reacting to the development, SERAP in a statement issued on its official X handle directed the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the red chamber to allow Akpoti-Uduaghan resume her legislatives duties.

    The group held that there is no law that prevents her resumption on the basis of a pending legal case.

    “The Senate cannot use the pending case(s) in court as a pretext to prevent Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming legislative duties.
    “This is antithetical to the fundamental notion of the rule of law. There is no law in Nigeria that prevents the resumption of her legislative duties pending the hearing and determination of the case(s) in court.” SERAP wrote.
    The group further charged the Senate to honour the Kogi lawmaker’s letter notifying the National Assembly clerk of her return.
    SERAP also demanded the payment of her salary and allowances for the duration of the suspension, stressing that preventing the lawmaker from resuming will amount to the legislative chamber’s disregard of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations.
    It charged the Senate to be setting an example by upholding the rule of law and promoting and protecting fundamental human rights.
    “This travesty of justice must END. Mr Godswill Akpabio and the Senate must immediately honour Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s letter notifying the clerk to the national assembly of her intention to resume on September 4, the date she said marked the end of her six-month suspension.
    “The Senate should not continue to punish Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for the peaceful exercise of her constitutionally and internationally recognized right to freedom of expression.
    “The Senate must allow her to resume her legislative duties and pay her salary and allowances for the duration of the suspension.
    “Preventing her to resume her legislative duties is a blatant disregard of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
    “No one should ever be punished for ‘speaking without permission’. Being a senator does not deprive Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of her fundamental human rights.
    “The Senate should be setting an example by upholding the rule of law and promoting and protecting fundamental human rights, not stamping them out.
    “A higher degree of tolerance is expected when it is a political speech, and an even higher threshold is required when it is directed towards government officials including members of the Senate.” The statement read further.
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    Safiu Kehinde is a Graduate of Mass Communications. He is passionate about accurate reporting and interested in investigating socio-political issues.

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