My suspension was premeditated – Natasha 

By Jethro Ibileke

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has described her controversial suspension from the Nigerian Senate, as premeditated move by Senate President Godswill Akpabio to silence her.

The Kogi Central Senator who was suspended for alleged contravention of Senate rules on March 6, stated this in a interview with Adeola Fayehun on her YouTube channel on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

She alleged that her rights as a legislator were trampled upon, adding that Akpabio acted beyond his powers.

“The impression being pushed out is that I caused a scene because of my seat. That is a lie.

“I raised a matter of privilege under Chapter 4, Item 9b of the Senate Rules, a provision that requires immediate attention. But Senate President Akpabio cut me off, ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to walk me out, and directed the Clerk to start preparing my suspension letter. That wasn’t a reaction. That was a script already written,” she alleged.

The embattled Senator who said she and Akpabio had once shared a cordial relationship, given his long-standing friendship with her husband, however alleged that personal differences and deeper political issues began to surface when she refused to succumb to the Senate President’s alleged demands.

She further alleged that her troubles escalated after she submitted a formal petition against the Senate leadership just a day before her suspension.

“He has no power to suspend any Senator on the floor unilaterally. The way he ordered my suspension like I was a staff in his living room, it was not only unlawful, it was degrading. My outburst was a response to what he had already decided to do.

“I believe my suspension was retaliation. The ethics report they cited was just a cover. I had submitted allegations that rattled the system, and the next day, I was silenced,” she said.

Commenting on the underlying tensions she faced as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content, the Kogi Central Senator accused Akpabio of demanding a “progress report” which she later learned was a euphemism for financial or political returns.

She said her refusal to comply angered Akpabio and led to constant friction between them.

“He laughed and told me to meet a senior Senator who explained that I should return money or jobs from my Committee engagements to him.

“I was shocked. When I asked how, I was told to harass agencies, like the Minister of Petroleum or the Executive Secretary, to bring money or jobs for the Senate President. That is corruption, and I refused.

“I told my husband. I told Akpabio himself. I said I couldn’t do that, and he said, ‘Then you’re not fit to chair any Committee.’ That’s how I knew this was not about performance, it was about returns.”

Natasha’s explosive revelations also touched on broader concerns within the Senate, alleging that senators are pressured to satisfy unnamed political “fathers,” especially during budget sessions.

According to her, “Akpabio has turned Senate sittings into comedy shows to distract from real issues. Behind the scenes, there’s pressure, there’s lobbying, there’s coercion. What I faced, many others are quietly enduring.”

While the Senate has yet to respond officially to her claims, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s testimony has stirred fresh outrage and renewed calls for accountability and reform in the 10th National Assembly.