Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Returns to Senate, Labels Akpabio a Dictator

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central on Tuesday returned to the National Assembly after months of suspension, declaring that she owes “no apology” for her stance and criticizing Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s leadership as “dictatorial.”

Her office in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing was officially unsealed by Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, clearing the way for her resumption.

Speaking shortly after, Senator Natasha recounted the challenges of the past six months, which she described as unjust.
“In retrospect, it is amazing how much we have had to pay, from the unjust suspension to the recall. But we survived the recall, blackmail and that crazy lady on Facebook. I give God Almighty the glory and my deepest appreciation to the people of Kogi Central and Nigerians at large,” she said.

The lawmaker also paid tribute to her husband for standing firmly by her:
“To my husband, I love you dearly. I pray all men support their wives in the same manner you have supported me.”

Natasha stressed that her fight was about defending institutional integrity, not personal battles.
“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 in his house. It is so unfortunate that we have a National Assembly being run by such a dictator. It is totally unacceptable,” she declared.

Her return has reignited conversations about legislative independence, gender representation, and the balance of power within the Senate.