By Haruna Salami
The Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) finally resumed after six months suspension with a firm resolve not to apologise to anybody.
Obviously responding to a story in one national newspaper that when plenary begins on October 7, she will be asked to apologise, Natasha said she will never apologize for what she referred to as “injustice”.
She said from what she has read in that paper, “that the leadership meeting was held yesterday and the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, upon resumption on the 7th of October, would read a motion calling on me to apologize.
“I’m actually worried as to what apology they expect from me. You can’t apologize for an injustice.
Signs that the Senate leadership has changed from its hardline position came Tuesday morning when the Sergeant-At-Arms, the internal security of the National Assembly, unsealed her office.
The Sergeant-At-Arms officer, Mr. Adedeji Alabi who unsealed Senator Natasha’s office said the Senate leadership gave directive to the head of Sergeant-At-Arms to that effect.
Recalling the circumstances that led to her suspension, she said “may I remind the good people of Nigeria that the document that led to my illegal suspension, which is the recommendation Senator Neda Imasuen read, was actually written by the office of the Senate President.
“And the signatures that endorse that recommendation were not willful signatures. It was only a tender sheet that was attached. That means the entire document that read and pronounced my suspension was listed with fraud.
Expatriating on the ordeals she has faced in the last six months she said “this is just one illegality upon the other”, adding she thinks in Nigeria, “we should reject such things. I think it’s actually appalling that such amount of illegality exists, and fraud can occur in the National Assembly. So, if they are expecting me to apologize, I’m sorry, I don’t have those words. And if that is the condition for opening this office, then I think we have a long dance to make”.
On the obstacles she had faced and survived in the past six months, most of them happened in the full glare of Nigerians; from the unjust suspension to the recall we survived, the blockage of roads and waterways into Kogi that we had to fly in through using the helicopter we survived, the blackmail from the so-called woman from the crazy lady on Facebook, it’s amazing what we had to survive by God almighty’s glory”.
She expressed her deepest appreciation to the good people of Kogi central, the state and Nigeria at large, “my husband, my love, if you say this I love you dearly and should I pray all men support their wives as much as you have supported me and my children thank you for your sacrifices
For her, in everything, it just shows that sometimes it’s good to put the institutions to test. “We can’t cow 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’s not a governor of this place and he treated me as if I was his servant or I was a domestic staff in his house.
“It’s very unfortunate that at this time, after so many years of democracy, we would have a National Assembly being run by such dictatorship. It’s totally unacceptable. As for me I’m glad to be here and even though we have been illegally suspended no day have I hesitated in effectively carrying out my duties as a senator of Kogi Central to the very best of my capacity.
She thanked those who stood by her such as Oby Ezekwesili, Aisha Yesufu, Mama Peace, Falana, PDP, ADC, Nigerian Bar Association, Nigeria Labour Congress and many others too numerous to mention.
She said the future of Nigeria is bright. “We just can’t give up our hopes, our democracy is evolving and I trust that every day leading into 2027, we will be able to put out actions that will be worthwhile because patriotically we have a country to save”.
