Six months suspension: Natasha heads in court like NBA, others knock on the Senate

The central senator of Kogi, Natasha Akpoti-Auduaghan, said that he would have challenged the suspension of six months in court slammed on her following her confrontation with the president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, for seats agreements in the red chamber.

His legal lawyer, Victor Giwa, rejected the resolution of the Senate as a violation of an order of the court.

Giwa spoke with the newspaper Punch on Thursday after the Kogi legislator was suspended from the Senate and left the National Assembly complex.

The Nigerian Bar Association, the NBA and opposition parties have reproached the Red Chamber in the same way for not having given a wide time to Akpoti-Auduaghan to present its denunciation of sexual harassment against Akpabio.

Giwa said that the Senate Committee for ethics and the privileges acted in violation of an order of the Court which according to what reported the fact of taking further actions on the matter, pending the determination of a motion on notice.

“The suspension is empty, it cannot even have any effect. The suspension is illegal because there is an order of the court that has retained the Senate Committee for ethics and the privileges of taking further actions.

“The Committee disobeyed a valid order of the court that was served on them, making mockery of the Chamber that should support the law,” said Giwa.

He claimed that if Senator Akpoti-Auduaghan had not sought legal intervention, the suspension could have resisted.

The lawyer also expressed conviction that, with an order of the court that explicitly directs the Senate to stop disciplinary actions, the decision to suspend it was nothing.

Giwa also revealed that legal actions would be taken against those responsible for the violation of the Court Directive.

“We are returning to court. The case is coming in about two weeks and we will inform the court that despite being served, including the president of the Senate, they still acted in violation of the order by suspending the actor, “he said.

When asked if there were plans to intensify the question of international organizations, Giwa has said: “For now, we are managing it locally. But, of course, the world is looking at. The Senate must join the best international practices, which impose that once a case is in court, further actions should be taken on it. “

He stressed that the Nigerian Constitution replaces the permanent orders of the Senate, stating that every citizen had the right to seek compensation in court when their civil rights are violated.

“Section 6, subsection 6 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to seek compensation when their civil rights are violated. Senator Natasha did exactly that. His suspension is an attempt to silence it for taking offenses against the President of the Senate, which is equivalent to a violation of his right to an equitable audition, “he added.

The Senate imposed a six -month suspension on the legislator for what he called the violation of his permanent orders following his claim of sexual harassment, an accusation that Akpabio denied.

In a previous interview with Arise Television on February 28, the Senator of Kogi, who reported the previous week after a public dispute with the president of the Senate for seats in the Senate, accused Akpabio of having made sexual progress towards him.

His denunciation of sexual harassment has been referred to the Commission for Ethics, the privileges and public petitions for the disciplinary review, which later recommended his suspension.

The Senate resolution followed the consideration and adoption of the Committee’s report during Thursday’s plenary.

The President of the Committee, Senator Neda Imesuen (LP, Edo South), presented the report on the red chamber floor.

The report, signed by all 14 members of the Committee, offered seven recommendations against the central senator of Kogi.

The committee declared her guilty of all the accusations against her as she did not attend the investigative hearing to defend herself.

In his recommendations, he proposed that Akpoti-Auduaghan could have the suspension of six months reduced only if he presents himself to formal apologies to the president of the Senate for his outburst during the plenary session last week.

As part of the suspension, the salaries of the legislator and the safety details will be withdrawn and his office blocked, but his legislative helpers would have received their remuneration during the period.

In the meantime, the Senate has rejected the recommendation of the committee led by Imesuen of apologies, saying that such would have been entertained only at the end of the suspension of six months.

The seven-point recommendations of Imesuen played: “One, that the Senate suspends Senator Natasha Akpoti-Auduaghan for six months for his total violation of the permanent rules of the Senate, bringing the officer officer and the entire Senate to the public.

“Two, who for the Senate to consider lifting or reducing the duration of the suspension, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Auduaghan will present apologies written to the Senate before reconsideration.

“Three, which the Senate suspends Natasha Akpoti-Auduaghan with effect from March 6, 2025, from all legislative activities.

“Four, that his office is locked up for the duration of his suspension and that he gives all the properties of the Senate in his possession to the employee of the National Assembly.

“Five, which for the duration of its suspension, must not be seen near the Senate or the National Assembly, including his staff.

“You are, that his salaries and allowances, including those of his legislative helpers, are suspended and that all the security details have been withdrawn for the period of his suspension.

“Seven, who during his suspension, was forbidden to represent herself at local and international level as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

● Whip, other lod panels

In his contribution, the main whisk of the Senate, Tahir Monguno; Minority leader of the Senate, Abba Moro; And the senators Jimoh Ibrahim, Sunday Karimi, Francis Fadahunsi, Mohammed Dandutse, Cyril Fasuyi and Adams Oshiomhole praised the committee for a well -done job.

This is just as the disobedience of Akpoti-Auduaghan of the rules of the Senate, who in their opinion, brought the legal body in difficulty, condemned.

They asked for the application of the sanctions, claiming that anything short of this would have thrown a dangerous precedent for Parliament.

For his part, Senator Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North) sought the protection of the assistants of the legislator shocked while asking for the amendment of the prayer that concerned them.

Kalu said: “We cannot punish the helpers of Senator Natasha for a crime they have not committed. They are the staff of the National Assembly and have no other farm or means of sustenance apart from the salaries they earn from the Senate.

“As such, it would be wrong for us as a Senate denying them and their families their salaries. I move that we should change this recommendation and allow them to earn their salaries. “

The Senate agreed with the suggestion of Kalu and saved the helpers of the Senator of Kogi to lose wages for six months.

In a debate with the legislators elected on the platforms of different political parties, the Senate has adopted all the recommendations, although with an amendment to prayer you are, allowing the assistant to the Kogi legislator to draw their salaries and indemnities during the suspension period.

The effort of an ex -president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, of preventing the red chamber from collecting the safety assistants of the suspended senator failed while the president of the Senate rejected him.

After the adoption of the relationship, Senator Akpoti-Usuaghan briefly interrupted the procedure. [The Punch]

Related