Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday returned to her duties at the National Assembly after months of suspension, taking a swipe at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she described as a “dictator.”
Her return came shortly after officials of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms unsealed her office in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing.
Deputy Director Alabi Adedeji was captured in a video removing the official seal and declaring,
“I, Alabi Adedeji, Deputy Director, Sergeant-at-Arms, hereby unseal the office. The office is hereby unsealed. Thank you.”
The Kogi Central senator, who had been locked out of her office since March 6 following her suspension, wasted no time in making her stance clear.
She insisted that she owed no one an apology for her actions.
According to her, “In retrospect, it is actually amazing how much we have had to pay in the past six months, from the unjust suspension to the recall.
But we survived the recall, blackmail and that crazy lady on Facebook.”
Expressing gratitude for the support she received during her ordeal, Natasha said, “It is amazing what we had to pass through, and I give God Almighty the glory and my deepest appreciation to the people of Kogi Central and Nigerians at large.
To my husband, I love you dearly. I pray all men support their wives in the same manner you have supported me.”
The senator also used the occasion to strongly criticise the Senate President, accusing him of treating her unfairly and undermining the dignity of the legislature. She stated,
“In everything, sometimes it is good to push the institution to the test. We can’t cower in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us.
Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me as if I were a servant or domestic staff in his house.”
Continuing her outburst, she added, “It is so unfortunate that we will have a National Assembly being run by such a dictator. It is totally unacceptable.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, handed down in March, stemmed from her protest against the reassignment of her seat by Senator Akpabio on February 20.
She was barred from all activities of the 10th Senate for six months on allegations of misconduct.
Though the suspension officially expired in September, her return was stalled by legal disputes and continued resistance from the Senate leadership.
On July 4, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the suspension was unconstitutional and excessive, a decision that gave her legal backing to seek resumption. Despite the judgment, her earlier attempts to re-enter the chamber were rebuffed by the National Assembly until Tuesday’s unsealing of her office.
It is still uncertain whether her reinstatement includes full privileges and if she will be allowed to resume plenary duties when the Senate reconvenes on October 7.
Meanwhile, the Senate leadership has again shifted the resumption date for plenary sittings, extending the annual recess beyond the earlier September 23 schedule. In a memo signed by the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Chinedu Akubueze, lawmakers were informed that plenary would now resume on October 7.
The memo read, “This is to respectfully inform distinguished senators that the resumption of plenary sitting of the Senate, earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 23rd September, 2025, has been shifted to Tuesday, 7th October, 2025. Any inconvenience this short notice may cause is deeply regretted. Distinguished senators are kindly invited to note the postponement and adjust their schedules accordingly. Thank you for your kind understanding, and God bless.”
Though no official reason was given for the adjustment, insiders suggested it was to allow senators observe the Independence Day celebrations on October 1.
The Senate had gone on recess on July 24, with Akpabio defending the break as an act of “chamber reciprocity,” since members of the House of Representatives had also adjourned. With the latest shift, critical debates, oversight functions, and pending motions will remain suspended until October.
