Senate unseals Natasha’s office amid leadership truce

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

After nearly seven months of political tension and legal tussle, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has regained access to her National Assembly office following a move by Senate leadership to ease hostilities and restore calm within the upper chamber.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was suspended on March 6, 2025, after a stormy session in which she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment and resisted her reassigned seat in the chamber.

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The Senate’s Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions later dismissed her petition on procedural grounds, while the chamber found her guilty of misconduct including alleged unruly behavior and “disrespect for leadership.”

The six-month suspension came with far-reaching penalties: withdrawal of salaries and allowances, loss of security aides, prohibition from accessing the National Assembly premises, and the sealing of her office. Though a court later ruled that aspects of the punishment were excessive, the Senate insisted she would not be readmitted until certain conditions, including an apology, were met.

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In the months that followed, the standoff deepened, with the senator barred from resuming duties even after the official suspension period lapsed in early September. Her camp maintained that the measures were politically motivated, while Senate leadership defended them as necessary to uphold discipline.

The decision to unseal Akpoti-Uduaghan’s office marks the first tangible sign of reconciliation. Sources within the National Assembly confirmed that the move was part of a broader leadership truce aimed at defusing tension and reuniting the chamber ahead of the new legislative session.

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However, uncertainty lingers. Insiders disclosed that the Senate may still demand a formal apology before allowing Akpoti-Uduaghan to resume full legislative duties when plenary reconvenes on October 7, 2025.

For now, the senator has regained a measure of ground lost during the protracted dispute. Yet whether she will return to the floor of the chamber without further conditions remains to Akpoti-Uduaghang the stage for what could be another defining moment in Nigeria’s 10th Senate.