Founder of Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside, says the suspension of Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, by the Senate is disrespectful to her constituents.
In a post on X on Sunday, the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc described the suspension of the female lawmaker as disturbing.
“The most disturbing aspect of the Nigerian Senate hullabaloo around Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is that the Senate Leadership must be aware that her suspension for six months is ultra vires and also disrespectful to her constituents in Kogi State, but they don’t care,” Peterside stated, pledging that he stands with the female lawmaker amid her ordeal.
The protracted feud between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan reached a climax on Thursday, March 6, 2025, when the Senate wielded the big stick and suspended the Kogi Central Senator who accused the senate president of sexual harassment and abuse of office after a seat arrangement conflict on February 20, 2025.
Akpabio denied the sexual harassment allegations against him by the Kogi lawmaker.
The female senator also slammed a N100bn alleged defamation suit on him while the Akpabio-led upper legislative chamber has referred her to the Senate disciplinary committee.
The Kogi lawmaker subsequently approached a Federal High Court in Abuja and got an order restraining the Senate committee from conducting disciplinary proceedings against the female senator with the case adjourned to March 10, 2025.
On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, the Senate committee dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment and abuse of office petition against the senate president, declaring it “dead on arrival” based on procedural violations and legal constraints but the female senator re-submitted the petition on Thursday.
The seat row wasn’t the first between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan. In July 2024, the Senate President apologised to the female lawmaker over his nightclub comment against the female lawmaker.
