By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
Some protesters, obviously defending the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, besieged the National Assembly yesterday. They sought additional punishment against the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, if she continued to organise protests against him.
The protesters stormed the nation’s apex legislative institution under the aegis of Women for Good Governance.
They accused Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of collaborating with specific individuals who planned to discredit the Senate President’s image and destabilise the National Assembly.
They carried placards with various inscriptions, including: “Senator Natasha is a serial blackmailer,” “Senate Committee on Local Content is not our birthright but privilege,” “Nigerian women for sustainable democracy support Sen. Akpabio,” “Nigerian women for good governance asked Sen. Natasha to stop embarrassing Nigerian women,” and “Nigerians are proud of Akpabio.”
Enakeme Ojineme, the Secretary of United Women for Good Governance, led the protest.
Ojineme, while speaking with journalists, described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment allegations against the senate president as part of a politically driven agenda to undermine the integrity of Akpabio.
“We, the United Women for Good Governance, have discovered that this false allegation of sexual harassment has a firm political undertone, heavily propelled in collaboration with Sen Natasha by those who are interested in the office of the senate president at all cost,” she said.
She condemned any effort to undermine the Senate through “unconventional, unlawful, and demonic means,” describing such actions as treasonable.
She said, “We, the united women for good governance, hereby send a strong warning to these evil planners that what they’re doing is nothing but trying to stab democracy with a fire dagger, which all well-meaning and good Nigerians must resist.
“Any unconventional, unlawful, and demonic means such as this targeted at removing any head of a tier of government is treasonable,” she added.
Ojineme warned that she will face even stricter punishments if the Kogi central senator persists in mobilising supporters against the Senate.
“We, therefore, encourage the Nigerian senators and the Senate president, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to remain dedicated to their duties and not fail to give stringent punishment to Senator Natasha should she continue to mobilize street beggars, jobless boys and ladies against the Nigerian Senate.”
It will be recalled that a group of youths from Kogi State last week staged a protest at the entrance of the National Assembly to demand the immediate resignation of Akpabio to allow an independent and unbiased probe of the sexual harassment allegations against him.
Victor Giwa, a lawyer who led the protest, urged the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, to which the matter was referred, to handle the case transparently and ensure that the process is free from political interference.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended two days later for her refusal to adhere to the seating arrangement and her alleged misconduct during the plenary session on February 20.
The Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, effective March 6, after considering a report by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which its Chairman, Neda Emasuen, presented.
The decision, supported by a majority of senators, was made following Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s refusal to adhere to the seating arrangement and her alleged misconduct during the plenary session on February 20.
In addition to the suspension, the senator faced several other penalties, including withdrawing all her security aides and closing her office within the National Assembly.
She was prohibited from entering the National Assembly premises during the suspension period, and all the properties belonging to the Senate that were in her possession would be handed over to the Clerk of the National Assembly.
Her salary and allowances were also suspended for the duration of the suspension, and she was banned from representing herself as a local and international senator.
However, the Senate left the door open for the suspension to be lifted if Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan submits a written apology, which the leadership may consider before the entire six-month period expires.
