By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola, have faulted Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s appearance at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
They said that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s action had seriously embarrassed Nigeria.
Their reaction came 48 hours after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who had been suspended, addressed the IPU in New York.
Akpoti-Uduaghan told the global body that she was suspended for raising the issue of sexual harassment against the Senate President, contrary to the fact that she was punished for misconduct.
Akpabio, while presiding over plenary yesterday, said, “I’m aware further that she (Akpoti-Uduaghan) has now externalised the matter by attempting to embarrass the Federal Republic of Nigeria by going to give a narrative at the IPU UN event different from what occurred in the Senate.
“But I want to thank Rt. Honourable member Kafilat Okpara, who had to give a press conference in New York to caution the international press not to vilify Nigeria but to note that the facts presented by her were totally out of tune with what occurred in the Nigerian parliament and that we have our internal mechanisms of resolving issues in Nigeria.
“Outside this parliament, we also have the judiciary, which she is even standing before the judiciary, so I don’t know why she would do so. Even here, she has brought a petition and has not allowed us to look into it. She went to court but has not allowed the court to look into it.
“She has gone to the international community and may not even allow the international community to look into it. She might decide to run to…I don’t know where. I don’t want to be misquoted.
“But the reality is that we remain resolute. We are law-abiding. We operate through the rules of the Senate, which is an extension of the powers and privileges given to us by the grund norm, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We still are open to making sure that we remain in peace. We left room for her to recognize that what she’s doing may even frighten many men in the future from even appointing or selecting female deputy governors.”
He also commended his colleagues for passing a confidence vote on him.
Akpabio said, “In my absence, when I was at another function, the Deputy President was presiding, and by the time I heard on the radio that this August assembly had passed a vote of confidence on this leadership and particularly the Senate President.
“I said it would not be correct if I came and pretended like the Ostrich, putting his head under its wings and pretending it was dark. I must let you know that I deeply appreciate the vote of confidence in my leadership.”
Similarly, Senator Solomon Adeola, Akpoti-Uduaghan, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, cannot position herself as more significant than the Senate.
In a statement he signed, Adeola stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for flagrant violation of the Senate Standing Orders and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“As a member of the 10th Senate with experience as a member of the 8th and 9th Senate, I boldly say that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was in gross violation of the Senate Standing Orders, and the Senate did the appropriate thing in her suspension.”
*Senate passes confidence vote in Akpabio
Yesterday, the Senate passed a vote of confidence in the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
The Senate, in its resolution, also urged Nigerians not to be distracted by the issue of sexual harassment raised against Akpabio by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Red Chamber said the matter was already in the court of law, which would not allow the legislative institution to intervene based on order 40 of its standing rules.
The vote of confidence was passed during plenary following a motion moved to that effect by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), and seconded by the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewumi (Osun West)
Bamidele rose under orders 41 and 51 to raise a matter of urgent national importance and draw his colleagues’ attention to the public discourse that had been diverting the Senate’s attention in the last two weeks.
The Senate Leader said, “Based on the kind of distraction that we have witnessed in the last two weeks as a Senate and as a representative of the Nigerian people, we need to rest this matter to concentrate on the mandates for which the Nigerian people elected us.
“There’s no doubting the fact, or there’s no pretending about the fact that members of the public have been genuinely interested in matters happening within this hallowed chamber in the last two weeks, especially concerning the allegation by one of our distinguished members, home and abroad, as to whether or not she had been sexually harassed.
“I feel it is important once and for all that we place on the record where we are on this matter and rest the matter as an institution so that we can concentrate while we allow the court of law and any other agencies who constitute such matters to do their job.
“I begin by recognizing the right of members of the public to subject what we do to utmost scrutiny. And I recognize that the people can criticize the government because we’re a part of the government.”
Bamidele stressed the need for the Senate to explain the proper position of Nigerians, who, he said, are currently being misled by wrong narratives in certain quarters.
He said, “I also want to make it clear to the public that the issue before us, as of the time we referred this matter to the Ethics and Privileges Committee, had nothing to do with sexual harassment.
“Some of the critics who have said this Senate allowed Senator Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, to be a judge in his case and to preside over his matter need to be told, with all due respect, that the matter before us and on which Senator Akpabio presided over, as the President of the Senate, had to do with the motion that was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
“While we appreciate the public’s concern on this matter, it is important that we also seek the understanding of the general public that we were elected to serve the people and are guided.
“Whatever we do in this chamber, we are guided by rules. And these rules are also drawn under the Constitution of our country.
“So, it is not a rule of men. It is a rule of law. It is not about some men trying to gang up against a woman or anybody.
It is about ensuring that our rules are respected.
“That is the only way we can guarantee peace; we can guarantee law and order. That is the only way to create an atmosphere where we can do our jobs and serve the Nigerian people.
“Again, some critics have also said we have no right to suspend a parliament or Senate member.
“Again, I will leave that within the context of jurisprudence, as the courts will always speak to that. But our rules are apparent as to how far we can go.
“We do not think we are in breach of the Constitution or our rules. Again, section 60 of the Nigerian Constitution confers constitutional rights to regulate its procedures in this parliament.
“Similarly, Section 1, subsection B of our rules book also makes it clear by reiterating that constitutional authority granted to us by section 60 of our rule of the Constitution gives us the right to regulate our procedure.
“Suspension, as far as we are concerned, is the only alternative to the kind of anarchy that the nation witnessed in the past, where members of parliament had reasons to shout, to get physically engaged with each other, to engage in acts of violence, to tear each other’s clothes and, you know, do all manners of things.
“We are moving; thank God we have been moved away from that. It also shows that democracy is not growing as it might appear.
“There are people who still have issues with whether or not we can even suspend an erring legislator who has refused or is refusing to work within the rules, you know, I believe, again, as I said, it’s for the courts to continue adjudicating.
“Unless the Constitution is amended, tak
ing away the authority for us to regulate our procedure.
“Of course, concerning the question of whether or not we are to, I mean, follow our rules, let me emphasize that the seventh schedule to our Constitution, the seventh schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, is clear.
“It contains the oath of office that we are all made to take before we assume office as senators.
“In that oath, we all swore that we would uphold this Constitution, that we would make laws for the good governance of this country, and that we would, in every step that we take, obey the rules and regulations of this Senate, we swore to that oath.
“It is for this Senate, as an institution, to ensure that everybody abides by that oath. And again, outside of Nigeria, or outside of this Senate, when it comes to our inter-parliamentary engagements, every one of those organizations, from the inter-parliamentary union, to commonwealth parliament, to African union parliament, to ECOWAS parliament, everyone is, I mean, run based on rules and regulations, drawn from the protocols establishing those organizations.
“That was why the inter-parliamentary union president, two days ago, had to go by their rule after listening to our colleague, Distinguished Senator Natasha.
“One issue that she raised was outside of the agenda of the meeting. Number two, having heard that, it would also be important to listen to the other side because they are all guided by rules.
“Also, let me emphasize that section one, sub one, of the law establishing the inter-parliamentary union itself makes it clear that membership of IPU shall be based on national parliamentary organization.
“In other words, there are no individual members. It is the parliament of sovereign nations that are members.
*Stop campaign of calumny against Akpabio; southern youths caution northern leaders
Meanwhile, yesterday, the Amalgamated Southern Nigeria Youths Forum warned the northern leaders and the Arewa Youth Assembly to stop their campaign of calumny against the Senate President.
The youths, addressed by their President, Victor Oleh, at a news conference in Abuja, threatened drastic economic disruption if their campaign against Akpabio continued.
The forum accused the northern youths of using Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as a proxy to harass Southern leadership, specifically targeting Akpabio.
They said, “We will not sit back while northern interests exploit ethnic politics to destabilize our leadership. If these attacks continue, we can respond in ways that will shake the nation.”
The warning came amidst accusations that the allocation of multiple Liquefied Natural Gas plants to Kogi State has unfairly side-lined the Niger Delta states— the very regions that supply Nigeria’s vital gas and crude oil.
They said, “You take revenue from our crude oil and gas but keep the profits from gold, lithium, and other minerals to yourselves. This injustice must stop. If Northern leaders continue to harass Akpabio, we will shut down oil production.
“We know the names of oil block owners, and we will not allow them to continue exploiting our resources while undermining our leaders.”
The threat of economic disruption underscored the growing tensions between Northern and Southern political and financial interests, with the Niger Delta youths prepared to use their leverage over the nation’s oil wealth as a potent countermeasure.
They accused certain northern elements of masterminding a smear campaign against Akpabio through Senator Natasha.
They alleged that the plot was designed to force his removal from office.
They said, “This agenda was handed to Senator Natasha to execute, but it has failed woefully. The false sexual harassment allegation is dead on arrival.”
They further rejected the Arewa Youths Assembly’s claim that the North has not benefited under Akpabio’s leadership, pointing to numerous projects and policies—including the North Central Development Commission bill—as proof of the Senate President’s fairness to all regions.
