SENATOR representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, reclaimed her office in the National Assembly on Tuesday, September 23, hours after officials unlocked the office following her six-month suspension by the Senate.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, supervised the unsealing of Suite 2.05 in the Senate Wing, which had been locked since March 2025 when the Red Chamber suspended the lawmaker.
By about 12:30 p.m., Premium Times reported that Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at the complex with supporters waving Nigerian flags.
Although the report noted that security personnel blocked the crowd and eventually dispersed them with teargas, the senator and a small team of aides were allowed in.
Addressing journalists after settling in her office, the Kogi senator said she had resumed her duties, adding that she did not apologise to the Senate.
“I am actually worried as to what apology they expect from me. You cannot apologise for an injustice. The document that led to my illegal suspension, which was read by Senator Neda Imasuen, originated from the office of the Senate President.
“The signatures attached were merely attendance sheets, not endorsements. That makes the entire process fraudulent,” she was quoted to have said.
In another video posted by Arise Television, she accused the Senate President Godswill Akpabio of being a dictator.
“It is good to put institutions to the test. We can’t calm down in the face of injustice; no one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He’s not a governor of this place and he treated me like I was his servant or a domestic staff in his house. It’s very unfortunate that at this time, after so many years of democracy we would have a National Assembly being rubbed by such a dictatorship. It’s totally unacceptable.
“Even though we have been illegally suspended, no day have I hesitated to effectively carry out my duties as a senator of Kogi central to the best of my capacity. I effectively carried out my duties as a senator to Kogi Central because I didn’t want them to suffer neglect.
The ICIR reported that suspension, ordered after she rejected the reassignment of her seat, stripped her of salaries, aides’ pay and other benefits.
In July, a Federal High Court declared the action unconstitutional, saying it denied Kogi Central’s constituents the representation they deserved, but the Senate insisted she serve the full term.
However, the National Assembly has not formally commented on her reinstatement.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M