Reverse Natasha’s suspension now!
That is the battle-cry of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, asking the Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio, to immediately reverse the 6-month suspension order on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Making the call, the influential non-profit organization described the suspension as “patently unlawful” and a gross violation of the Kogi Central Senatorial District lawmaker’s her right to freedom of expression.
Invoking Senate rules, the Akpabio-led chamber slapped a six-month suspension on Natasha for allegedly “speaking without permission” and refusing to occupy her new seat in the Senate chamber.
To boot, her salary and allowances have also been withheld for the duration of the suspension, and she has been barred from identifying herself as a senator.
But in an open letter, dated March 8, 2025, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation warned that it would pursue legal action if the Senate President fails to comply within 48 hours.
In the statement titled: “Rescind Unlawful Suspension of Natasha Akpoti or Face Legal Action, SERAP Tells Akpabio,” the public accountability NGO emphasised that “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 suspension, SERAP argued, infringed on Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constitutionally and internationally recognised right to freedom of expression. Citing Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the organisation maintained that the Senate’s action is both “unlawful and disproportionate.”
“The Senate should be setting an example by upholding the rule of law and promoting and protecting fundamental human rights, not stamping them out,” Oluwadare stated.
The organisation also slammed the Senate for undermining the right of the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District to effective political representation.
“The suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has restricted and seriously undermined the ability of the residents of her constituency to participate in their own government,” the letter read.
SERAP urged the Senate to reinstate Akpoti-Uduaghan and amend its standing orders to prevent undue restrictions on freedom of expression.
The organisation warned that failure to act promptly would leave it with no option but to seek judicial intervention.
“The Senate Standing Orders 2023 should not and cannot set aside Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s right to express herself,” SERAP argued, stressing that any restrictions on free speech must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.
