Former Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described as “cheap politics and trivialising of a serious issue” the claim that the call for transparent and open process was an attempt to remove incumbent Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, a Niger Delta person from office.
This followed the call to investigate the accusation levelled against him by one of his colleagues, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from Kogi State, through an open and transparent process.
Also, a renowned human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has condemned Natasha’s suspension, describing it as the height of legislative recklessness.
In a statement, Falana criticised the Nigerian Senate for disregarding multiple court rulings that have consistently declared legislative suspensions illegal.
At the same time, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged Akpabio to “immediately rescind the patently unlawful suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the purported suspension is based solely on the peaceful exercise of her constitutionally and internationally recognised right to freedom of expression.”
This was as a former member of the Delta State House of Assembly and Warri-based Legal practitioner, Hon.Misan Ukuneyinje, has said Natasha’s suspension was against the extant rules of the Nigerian Senate regarding protection of the rights of senators under threat and intimidation.
However, Saraki, in a statement by the head of his media office in Abuja, Yusuph Olaniyonu, urged Akpabio to read his press statement dated March 1st, 2025 very well to understand that there was nowhere he suggested the resignation of the Senate President.
“Rather, he advised that Akpabio should act in the best interest of the legislative institution by ensuring that no reasonable person is left with any doubt about the fact that the allegations raised by the Senator were investigated and justifiably dispensed with,” he stated.
According to the statement, “The attention of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office has been drawn to the statement made by Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio while addressing the leaders of some ‘youth ethnic groups’ on Friday that certain individuals from Kwara and Adamawa States want him removed because he is from the Niger Delta region.
“Ordinarily, Dr. Saraki would have ignored the statement as a sign of the times in which we now live. However, its underlying motive of politicising and trivialising a serious issue that threatens the integrity, credibility, and importance of the legislature is the reason why we think we should not allow the Senate President to create a misleading impression of the issue at stake in the all-important institution that the National Assembly represents in our democracy.
“Dr. Saraki in his last comment on the Akpabio-Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan crisis never called on the Senate President to resign or step aside. Rather, he urged the Senate President to be conscious of the fact that perception is reality and therefore he should avoid treating the allegations by the Senator in a manner that will create the perception that the Senate as an institution is trying to cover up issues bothering on sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office.
“Also, Dr. Saraki made it clear that his intervention was neither about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan nor whether her claim was right or not. He stated that since the Senator has gone public with such serious allegations against the presiding officer, the image of the institution should be saved through an honest, sincere, open, transparent, and unbiased investigation.
“In that press statement, he also pointed out that there are already existing processes recommended in the Constitution, laws of the land, Senate rules, conventions, and precedents to be followed in carrying out such investigation.
“Again, Dr. Saraki is of the firm belief that his suggestions are for the benefit of the legislative institution. So, he will repeat the same suggestion no matter where the Senate President comes from and whichever party he belongs to.
“It is not because the incumbent is a member of the APC, that the former Senate President is from the PDP or that the former is from the South-South zone while the latter is from the North Central zone. Far from it. It is disingenuous and crude to describe Dr. Saraki’s comment along those primordial lines.
“This issue is definitely not one in which Akpabio should exploit ethnic sentiments, political division, or regional proclivity. This will neither be in his own interest or that of the institution over which he is presiding. He should face the reality on ground and do what is right.
“The former Senate President believes that when a sensitive matter suggesting sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and mistreatment of women comes up anywhere, it evokes the pains that thousands of women across the nooks and crannies of our society experience daily.
“Thus, when it is raised in a place like the legislative institution, it is an opportunity for us to handle it with utmost openness and transparency to ensure that justice is not only done but glaringly seen to be done.
“Once again, Dr. Saraki stands by and maintains his earlier suggestion to Akpabio and the Senate leadership on the allegations raised by the Senator from Kogi State. An open, transparent, and honest investigation of the allegations is still needed to ensure that the Senate is not cast in the image of an institution that is tolerant of sexual harassment, gender bias, victimisation and mistreatment of women, abuse of office, and enthronement of the culture of silence.
“By having such an investigation, the general public and the international community will have more confidence in our legislative institution.
“People like Dr. Saraki have made huge sacrifices in defending the integrity of the legislative institution and will not desist in speaking up for the right thing to be done. May God bless our institutions and our country.”
Falana: Suspension Illegal, Height of Legislative Recklessness
Lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has strongly condemned the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and described it as the height of legislative recklessness.
In a statement, on Sunday, Falana criticised the Nigerian Senate for disregarding multiple court rulings that have consistently declared legislative suspensions illegal.
He noted that despite a Federal High Court order restraining the Senate Ethics Committee from proceeding against Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senate went ahead with the suspension, blatantly violating judicial precedents.
Falana demanded the immediate reversal of the suspension, stating that in a democracy, legislators must not be silenced at the whims of powerful figures in legislative chambers.
He emphasised the need to end impunity and uphold the rule of law.
Citing a series of past legal victories against unlawful legislative suspensions, Falana outlined multiple cases where Nigerian courts had declared such actions unconstitutional.
He cited, for example, the case of Hon. Dino Melaye & 10 Others (2010), where the Federal High Court ruled his suspension illegal and ordered payment of withheld salaries and allowances.
Also, the case of Hon. Rifkatu Danna (2012 & 2017), when her suspension by the Bauchi State House of Assembly was nullified by both the State High Court and the Court of Appeal, reaffirming her constituents’ right to representation.
The statement read: “In 2018, our law firm equally handled the case of Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, a member of the House of Representatives, who was suspended for 180 days for accusing the Yakubu Dogara-led House of padding the 2016 national budget.
“The Federal High Court nullified the suspension and ordered the payment of the withheld salaries and allowances of the legislator.
“Based on the case of the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly vs Honourable Rifkatu Danna (2017) 49 WRN 82, which is the locus classicus on the subject matter, the 2017 suspension of Senator Ali Ndume by the Bukola Saraki-led Senate was annulled by the Federal High Court. The case was filed on behalf of the Senator by his lawyer, Marcel Oru Esq.
“In the same vein, the 2020 suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Federal High Court. The case was filed on behalf of the Senator by Edward Omaga Esq.
“Sometime in 2020, the Jigawa State House of Assembly suspended a lawmaker, Hon. Sani Iyaku, over alleged criticism of the state governor, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Badaru who was on a visit to Hadejia town for a wedding ceremony. Honourable Iyaku challenged his suspension in the Jigawa State High Court.
“The trial Judge, Justice Ahmed ruled that the action of the Assembly did not comply with order 15 rule 74 (2)(c) and (3) a, b of the state House of Assembly standing orders 2017 and therefore declared the suspension illegal, inappropriate, null and void. The court also directed that the defendant be paid his three months allowances withheld to the tune of N3 million.
“On November 18, 2020, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Akure, Ondo State dismissed the motion for stay of execution filed by the state House of Assembly against the judgment of the High court reinstating the three suspended members of the state assembly.
“The Presiding Judge, Justice Folayemi Omoleye, queried the appellants for bringing a frivolous appeal before the court, directing that the lawmakers should be reinstated immediately to resume their legislative duties.
“On August 13, 2024, the same court reinstated Hon. Iroju Ogundeji as the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly. In a unanimous ruling, Justices Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye, Frederick Oziakpono-Oho, and Yusuf Alhaji Bashir affirmed the decision made by Justice Akintan Osadebey, which reinstated the two-term legislator representing the Odigbo state constituency.
“In the past five years, the High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, and the National Industrial Court nullified the illegal suspension of members of the Houses of Assembly of Kogi and Edo State respectively.
“In March 2024, the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate suspended Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP; Bauchi) for three months for alleging that Nigeria’s 2024 budget was padded. The Senator instructed our law firm to challenge the suspension in the Federal High Court.
“We wrote to the leadership of the Senate to review the suspension in view of the illegality of the action. As we were preparing to challenge the suspension in the Federal High Court, the Senate recalled Senator Ningi and paid his withheld salaries and allowances.
“In view of the definitive pronouncements of the several High Court and the Court of Appeal on the illegality of the suspension of elected members of legislative houses in Nigeria, the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is the height of legislative recklessness.
“The illegal suspension should be lifted without any further delay. Since the Federal High Court had restrained the Senate Ethics Committee from hearing the complaint against the embattled Senator pending the determination of the motion on notice the Senate ought to have stayed action in accordance with the rule of law.
“Finally, the official impunity of suspending legislators at the whims and caprices of leaders of the federal and state legislative houses must not be allowed to continue in Nigeria,” he stated.
Rescind Natasha’s Unlawful Suspension, SERAP, Lawyer Say
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged Akpabio to “immediately rescind the patently unlawful suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the purported suspension is based solely on the peaceful exercise of her constitutionally and internationally recognised right to freedom of expression.”
According to SERAP, “The Senate should immediately reinstate Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, and revise parliamentary procedures that unduly restrict senators’ human rights.”
In the open letter dated 8 March 2025 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “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.
“Punishing Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, solely for peacefully expressing herself is unlawful, unnecessary and disproportionate. Her suspension would also have a disproportionate chilling effect on the ability of other members of the Senate to freely express themselves and exercise their human rights.” SERAP also said
Also, a former member of the Delta State House of Assembly and Warri-based Legal practitioner, Hon. Misan Ukuneyinje, said Natasha’s suspension was against the extant rules of the Nigerian Senate regarding protection of the rights of senators under threat and intimidation.
He said the suspension handed down by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges rather acted in shielding the Senate President in spite of the grave allegation of sexual harassment, intimidation and victimisation.
Ukubeyinje, in an interview with Journalists in Warri, declared: “It is unconstitutional to suspend a senator more than 14 days for wrongdoing.
“According to the Rules of Senate Order 67(4), the provisions of the legislative houses (powers and privileges) Act 2018, a member of any legislative house guilty of contempt of the house cannot be suspended for more than 48 hours.”
Describing the suspension as an act of legislative rascality, Ukubeyinje, a former Commissioner in Delta State, cited the case of Ali Ndume vs Senate, which was decided by Court of Appeal in 2018 that held that a senator cannot be suspended for more than 14 days and the case of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is also supportive of this legal stand.
“The 10th senate are not good students of history. I see no wrongdoing by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by speaking out against her perceived oppression, intimidation, victimisation and sexual harassment.
“Whilst pursuing her rights before the senate by raising Order 10 which was ignored and submitting a written and detailed petition, it is expected that the distinguish senate protect her rights and thoroughly investigate all issues surrounding the grievances before it and come up with a detailed report which will be fully deliberated upon with the senate president recusing himself.
“Rather the senate, dismissed her petition bordering on sexual harassment and intimidation claiming sub-judice, citing the suit filed by the wife to Senate President, thereby manifestly perpetuating double standard, approbating and reprobating, and wrongly assuming jurisdiction by suspending her beyond their powers,” he added.
