The lawmaker representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday came hard on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of treating her like a slave and his “domestic staff.”
Naija News reports that the senator made the remarks while addressing journalists in her office at the National Assembly shortly after the Sergeant-at-Arms reopened it, following her six-month suspension.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Senator Natasha described the suspension period as one of resilience against intimidation and blackmail.
“From the unjust suspension to the recall, we survived the blockade of roads, we survived the blackmail from the crazy lady on Facebook. It’s amazing what we had to survive,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to her constituents, Nigerians at large, and her husband for their support throughout her suspension.
Natasha maintained that her suspension was unjust, stressing that she never abandoned her responsibilities to Kogi Central.
“Sometimes, it’s good to put the institutions to the test. We can’t bow down in the face of injustice; no one is more Nigerian than us,” she declared.
Taking a direct swipe at Akpabio, she said:
“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 was his servant or domestic staff in his house. It’s very unfortunate that at this time, after so many years of democracy, we have a National Assembly being run by such dictatorship. It’s totally unacceptable.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan vowed to continue representing her people with full dedication, insisting that no suspension or intimidation could silence her voice.
“Even though we were illegally suspended, no day have I hesitated in effectively carrying out my duties as a senator of Kogi Central to the very best of my capacity,” she added.
