
The lawmaker representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has slammed Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking on Tuesday, she accused him of treating her like a slave and his “domestic staff.”
She made the remarks while addressing journalists in her office at the National Assembly complex, shortly after the Sergeant-at-Arms reopened it following her six-month suspension.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the past six months as a period of resilience in the face of intimidation.
Natasha said, “From the unjust suspension to the recall, we survived the blockade of roads, we survived the blackmail from the crazy lady on Facebook. It’s amazing what we had to survive.”
She expressed gratitude to her constituents, Nigerians at large, and her husband, noting, “I pray all men support their wives like you have supported me.”
The senator said her suspension was unjust and maintained that she had continued to discharge her responsibilities to her constituents despite being barred from plenary.
“Sometimes, it’s good to put the institutions to the test. We can’t bow down in the face of injustice; no one is more Nigerian than us,” she declared.
Taking direct aim at the Senate President, she added, “Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me as if I was his servant or domestic staff in his house. It’s very unfortunate that at this time, after so many years of democracy, we have a National Assembly being run by such dictatorship. It’s totally unacceptable.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan vowed to continue representing Kogi Central with full dedication, insisting that her suspension could not deter her.
“As for me, I’m glad to be here. Even though we were 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 said.