Suspended lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday, cautioned Senate President Godswill Akpabio against placing himself above the Nigerian Constitution.
The senator also accused the Senate leadership of violating a valid court order by preventing her from resuming duties at the National Assembly.
She disclosed this in an interview with journalists at the assembly complex.
The senator representing Kogi Central arrived at the National Assembly complex to reclaim her seat following a ruling by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, which nullified her suspension.
However, she was denied entry by security personnel at the gate.
Fuming after the incident, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the development as a deliberate act of contempt by the Senate, particularly targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“Akpabio cannot be greater than the Nigerian Constitution. I want Nigerians to know that the Office of the Senate President doesn’t give me legitimacy as a senator. The fact that he has done an appeal does not invalidate the decision of Justice Binta Nyako, and that does not stop me from being a senator.
“I got my legitimacy as a senator from the people of Kogi who voted me into office as senator,” she said.
The embattled senator said her continued exclusion speaks volumes about the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
“That I’ve been denied entrance to the National Assembly is a statement being made. It’s on record that the National Assembly under Akpabio has decided to be in contempt of a court decision, and it’s quite ironic that they are lawmakers.
“That poses the question: how far is our democracy in this day and age?” she stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also faulted the legality of her initial suspension by the Senate.
“Even the suspension ab initio was fraudulent—the document was faulty,” she stated.
She revealed that her legal team would be approaching the appellate court for further interpretation and redress.
“Going forward, I will have a meeting with my legal team so they can proceed to the appellate court to seek interpretation into what just happened. I’m a law-abiding citizen,” she added.
As of press time, the Senate leadership had not released any statement on Tuesday’s standoff at the National Assembly.
The Punch
