Kogi Senator Ready for Comeback After Controversial Six-Month Exile
By: Abudu Olalekan
That’s the plan for embattled Kogi Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as she prepares to reclaim her seat in Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber after what her supporters call a politically-motivated suspension that started with something as simple as refusing to switch seats.
Picture this: A senator walks into plenary one March morning. She’s told to move seats. She says no. Six months later, she’s still fighting to get back into the building she was elected to serve in. Sounds crazy? Welcome to Nigerian politics.
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, spoke with reporters in Abuja yesterday, painting a picture of a senator who’s been counting down the days. “Actually, she’s ready to resume her term,” Giwa said, his voice carrying that mix of exhaustion and relief that comes after a long legal battle. The senator’s in London right now – vacation or strategic retreat, depending on who you ask – but she’ll be back when the Senate reconvenes September 23rd.
The suspension dropped like a hammer on March 6. Insubordination, they called it. The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions recommended it, and just like that, Akpoti-Uduaghan lost everything. No aides. No office privileges. No salary. All because she wouldn’t change seats? Her camp tells a different story.
Here’s where things gets messy. The senator had earlier filed a petition accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment – explosive allegations that the Senate quickly dismissed. Coincidence that her troubles started soon after? You be the judge. The timing certainly raised eyebrows among political observers and womens’ rights advocates across the country.
July brought drama straight out of a political thriller. Akpoti-Uduaghan, court judgment in hand that she claimed supported her recall, tried to force her way back into the National Assembly. Security operatives formed a human wall. Her supporters gathered outside, chanting and demanding justice. The standoff ended with the senator being turned away, her attempted comeback blocked by uniformed officers who probably wished they were anywhere else that day.
But now? Different story entirely.
The six-month suspension officially expired last Saturday. According to Giwa, the path is clear for her return. “We have been told that even the leadership of the Senate is ready to welcome her,” he assured reporters, though his carefully chosen words suggested not everyone might be rolling out the red carpet. “There is no obstacle at all,” he added, perhaps trying to speak it into existence.
The pending court cases? Giwa waves them off like annoying flies. “Everything will be resolved. Even the court cases will become like an academic exercise,” he said, using that peculiar Nigerian way of describing something that becomes irrelevant after the fact.
What the Senate leadership thinks about all this remains a mystery. Calls to Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu went unanswered. Messages too. Same story with Akpabio’s media aide – radio silence all around. Their silence speaks volumes, or maybe they’re just hoping this whole thing blows over quietly.
For Akpoti-Uduaghan, September 23 can’t come fast enough. Six months is a long time in politics. Alliances shift. Priorities change. Old grievances sometimes get buried under new scandals. But sometimes they don’t.
Will her return be smooth sailing or another confrontation? Will her colleagues embrace her or give her the cold shoulder? These questions hang in the air like Abuja’s morning mist.
One thing’s certain though. The senator from Kogi Central isn’t backing down. London vacation done, she’s coming back to claim what voters gave her – a seat in Nigeria’s Senate. And this time, she probably won’t be asked to move it.
