Natasha resumes at Senate, calls Akpabio dictator

After a six-month suspension, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has returned to the National Assembly, and upon her resumption, she launched a scathing attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling him a “dictator.”¹

Here’s a breakdown of the key events and her statement:

The Suspension and Return

• Background: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, was suspended from the Senate on March 6, 2025, for six months.² The suspension was reportedly for alleged misconduct and a protest she made against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.³
• Legal Challenge: The lawmaker challenged her suspension in court, and in July, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the suspension was excessive and unconstitutional.⁴ Despite this ruling and the expiration of her suspension in September, she was reportedly unable to resume due to administrative and legal hurdles.⁵
• Resumption: Her office was finally unsealed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, allowing her to resume her legislative duties.⁶ She arrived at the National Assembly complex accompanied by a crowd of supporters, though security operatives later dispersed them with tear gas.⁷

The “Dictator” Accusation

• Public Statement: Upon her resumption, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke to journalists and did not hold back.⁸ She stated that she had “no apology to tender” and condemned the leadership of the Senate.⁹
• “Servant” Treatment: She accused Senator Akpabio of running the National Assembly like a “dictatorship” and claimed he treated her as if she were a “servant” or “domestic staff.”¹⁰ She stated that “such a dictatorship is totally unacceptable.”¹¹
• Testing Institutions: The senator expressed that her ordeal was a test of resilience against injustice.¹² She said that her return proved that institutions must sometimes be pushed and that “we can’t cower down in the face of injustice.”¹³

The Larger Context

• Reactions: The public and political sphere have reacted to her statement, with some criticizing the personal conflicts within the Senate as a distraction from important national issues.¹⁴ Others, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have previously condemned her suspension, calling it an act of “legislative dictatorship.”¹⁵
• Ongoing Tensions: The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the Senate leadership and some of its members.¹⁶ Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s defiant return and strong words are expected to reignite political battles within the Senate, especially as her full privileges as a senator are still not fully clarified, and plenary has been postponed to October 7.¹⁷