₦airaland Forum

The controversy surrounding the suspension of the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has deepened, with allegations that the signatures attached to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions’ report were not for the endorsement of the suspension but rather attendance records.

This led to confusion at a closed-door Senate meeting as some senators reportedly claimed their signatures were misrepresented to give the impression of unanimous support for the suspension.

Attendance or Endorsement?
On 5 March, members of the Senate Committee on Ethics convened to investigate the seat rearrangement dispute between Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. On that day, senators who attended the committee’s sitting signed the attendance register, while others abstained.

Based on the Senate’s rules, all senators can attend committee meetings, whether or not they are members of such a committee. Also, all the senators who attend a committee’s meeting can sign the attendance register.

On 6 March, when the ethics committee chairman, Neda Imasuen, presented its report on the floor of the Senate, the attendance sheet’s signatures were included, creating the impression that all signatories endorsed the committee’s recommendations.

One of the key recommendations in the report was to prohibit Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan from identifying herself as a senator, both locally and internationally, for the six months she would be on suspension.

Some senators who signed the attendance register have now reportedly distanced themselves from the report with the argument that they were not allowed to review the final draft before it was presented on the floor of the Senate.

A senator who attended the meeting where the matter was discussed but requested not to be named told PREMIUM TIMES that the proper process should have been for the committee members to examine and approve the report before its presentation. However, members were unaware of its content until it was publicly read on the Senate floor.

The Suspension
On 6 March, the Senate voted to suspend Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months following the ethics committee’s recommendations. The decision was based on the ethics committee’s report which indicted her for alleged misconduct during a plenary session on 20 February and her refusal to adhere to the chamber’s sitting arrangement.

The Senate also imposed several penalties on her, including the withdrawal of all her security aides and the closure of her office within the National Assembly. All Senate properties in her possession would be handed over to the Clerk to the National Assembly. At the same time, she was also prohibited from entering the National Assembly premises during the suspension period.

Her salary and allowances were also suspended for the duration of the suspension, just as she was banned from representing herself as a senator, both locally and internationally. However, the Senate left a door open for the suspension to be lifted if Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan submits a written apology, which the leadership may consider before the full six-month period expires.

On Tuesday, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan took her case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), seeking international intervention in her suspension from the Senate.

She addressed delegates at an IPU meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, during which she also raised allegations of sexual harassment against Mr Akpabio. The Kogi senator described her suspension from the Senate as unlawful and a deliberate attempt to silence her for speaking out against alleged misconduct in the Nigerian upper legislative chamber.

Senators Push Back Against Signature Use
Our source also confirmed that some of Mr Imasuen’s colleagues in the committee expressed concern about the improper use of their signatures during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, which lasted about two hours.


According to the lawmaker, those who objected to using their signatures were two senators from the North-west geopolitical zone, one from the North-east and another from the North-central.

They reportedly argued that their signatures were misused because they did not explicitly consent to the report’s recommendations. Their position is based on the principle that signing an attendance register does not equate to endorsing a resolution. They insisted that their signatures should not have been attached to a report they neither reviewed nor approved.

The senators also emphasised that the report should have been circulated among all committee members before being presented to ensure transparency and due process. Despite these senators raising their concerns at the closed-door meeting, none of them has done so publicly and PREMIUM TIMES’ efforts to reach out to them individually were unsuccessful.

Argument on Endorsement
On the opposing side at the closed-door meeting, some senators argued that attendance at a meeting implies participation in any decisions made during that session. They contended that once a decision is reached within a committee, there is no need for additional signatures.

The opposing argument implies that a senator’s presence at a meeting means they acknowledged the decision, whether they explicitly signed the recommendation or not.

This controversy around signatures further fuels concerns that the suspension of Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was decided without due process. Mr Imasuen could not be reached for comment. He did not pick up PREMIUM TIMES’ calls to his mobile telephone or respond to a text message.

Racoon:
This is the hallmark of tyrants and tyranny. They coerce people to support an unjust evil causes just to satisfy their ego and hold to power.

lbdarapmc:
If this is true, then one of them should come out to the public and say it.

essentialone:
Recent reports have surfaced regarding a purported legal dispute between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan.
A letter from Indemnity Partners, dated November 19, 2020, suggested that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had engaged in a legal case against her husband over allegations including breach of promise of marriage, poisoning, financial loss, and indebtedness.
According to the letter, Emmanuel Uduaghan made persistent amorous advances to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, promising marriage. She allegedly accepted these advances after he assured her of marriage intentions.
The letter mentions that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was involved in significant business ventures, including a N7 billion NDDC and SMEDAN project. It alleges that Uduaghan influenced her to cease pursuing these ventures, except with his approval.
The letter said Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan experienced an ectopic pregnancy, leading to the loss of her left fallopian tube and ovary. It further alleged that she suffered physical abuse during this period.
The letter stated that when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan became pregnant again, Uduaghan allegedly insisted on an abortion. It claims that he conspired to induce an abortion by serving her a poisoned meal, which led to a miscarriage.
The letter includes claims of financial losses and demands for compensation, including repayment of a N400 million loan and N10 billion for various services and damages.

IamaNigerianGuy:
How much are they paying you for this rubbish ?

essentialone:
Recent reports have surfaced regarding a purported legal dispute between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan.
A letter from Indemnity Partners, dated November 19, 2020, suggested that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had engaged in a legal case against her husband over allegations including breach of promise of marriage, poisoning, financial loss, and indebtedness.
According to the letter, Emmanuel Uduaghan made persistent amorous advances to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, promising marriage. She allegedly accepted these advances after he assured her of marriage intentions.
The letter mentions that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was involved in significant business ventures, including a N7 billion NDDC and SMEDAN project. It alleges that Uduaghan influenced her to cease pursuing these ventures, except with his approval.
The letter said Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan experienced an ectopic pregnancy, leading to the loss of her left fallopian tube and ovary. It further alleged that she suffered physical abuse during this period.
The letter stated that when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan became pregnant again, Uduaghan allegedly insisted on an abortion. It claims that he conspired to induce an abortion by serving her a poisoned meal, which led to a miscarriage.
The letter includes claims of financial losses and demands for compensation, including repayment of a N400 million loan and N10 billion for various services and damages.