By Deborah Nnamdi
The Senate has imposed a six-month suspension on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan following the sexual harassment accusation she leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
This decision, made on Thursday, March 6, 2024, was based on a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
As part of the suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s salary and security details would be withdrawn, and she would be barred from accessing the National Assembly premises.
Her office would also be locked, and her legislative aides would not receive their salaries during this period.
The suspension, effective March 6, also bars her from representing herself anywhere as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Senate further ruled out reconsidering her suspension until the six-month term ends or she submits a formal apology.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension came after a tense exchange in the Senate, where she objected to Akpabio’s decision to reassign her seat. Upon arriving at a plenary session, she discovered that her nameplate had been removed and her seat reassigned, which she viewed as an effort to silence her.
Her suspension was then put to a vote after she was not allowed to address the Senate, with most members supporting the Ethics Committee’s report.
To appeal the suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan must submit a written apology to the Senate for allegedly violating its rules.
The Ethics Committee originally recommended a six-month suspension but later reduced it to three months after the Senate considered the plea of Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), who had requested a reduction.
