‘I will be there’ — Natasha Akpoti says she’ll return to senate Tuesday

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, says she will resume at the national assembly on Tuesday.

Speaking with journalists on Saturday during a training programme in her constituency, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she has written to the senate to formally communicate her intention to return to the red chamber on that date.

“I have pretty much two months more before the six months expire,” Channels TV quoted the Kogi senator as saying.

“However, I have written to the senate again telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd, which is on Tuesday, by the special grace of God.

“I will be there, because the court did make the decision on that. Now, they argue that it’s an order—it’s not an order, but it is a decision.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan said the suspension has affected her capacity to perform legislative functions.

She said one of the critical responsibilities of a senator is to sponsor bills and motions at the senate, which the suspension has prevented her from doing.

“I did mention that every senator has three major functions—legislative, which is the creation of laws and review of treaties,” she said.

“Then we have oversight—which is to oversee ministries and agencies. And then the third is representation—which I’m doing.

“Whereby I identify the problems and the challenges of my community, and I make sure I present them and have them captured in the federal budget. And I have done pretty well with that.

“Of course, I do miss putting up my bills there, but it didn’t stop me from working.”

On March 6, the senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for alleged violation of its standing rules.

The action followed her allegation of sexual harassment against Akpabio, a claim she later took to court after her suspension.

In July, the federal high court in Abuja asked the senate to recall the lawmaker, ruling that the length and nature of her suspension were excessive.

However, the senate said it has yet to receive the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgement and would not act on it.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has approached the court of appeal to challenge the judgement.