It appears there is no limit to the odium Nigerians will endure in the hands of “Sinators” because just when these “legislooters” seem to have hit rock bottom in governance and legislative capacity, they somehow manage to find a way into further depths in ignominy. The travesty of justice that played out in the senate last Thursday, culminating with the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after she leveled explosive allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, is simply mind-boggling and inexcusable. The impropriety was disgraceful, pathetic, shameful and devoid of any perfunctory exaggeration. By this singular act of civic callousness, dancing in mockery into the abyss of tyranny, misogyny, and outright oppression, the Nigerian Senate advertised a certain hollowness in morality that dragged the nation down to a hitherto unprecedented low in ethical degeneration. This is an unbelievable national shame and Nigerians deserve full explanation for the embarrassment. The brazen abuse of power is nothing short of a declaration of war against truth, justice, and against every woman who dares to defy the suffocating grip of patriarchy within Nigeria’s corridors of power. This fight is not over. Justice must prevail.
In a blatant act of oppression dripping with impunity, the senate ruthlessly suspended Senator Natasha for six months without pay, stripped her of security aides, locked her out of her office, and banished her from the National Assembly premises. She was thereafter escorted manu militari out of the red chamber by the Sergeant-At-Arms personnel, reducing the number of female senators to just three out of 109. This despicable action is aimed at silencing a woman who dared to speak out against alleged sexual misconduct by the Senate President. Make no mistake: this is not about Senate rules. It is a brazen and calculated effort to silence a woman who dared to expose the rot festering within the highest echelons of government. Instead of upholding the principles of fairness and accountability, the Senate has chosen to close ranks, shielding one of their own from scrutiny while brutally punishing a woman for demanding justice. This vicious abuse of power, coming on the eve of International Women’s Day, has exposed in spectacular fashion, the quality of the Senate leadership and reinforced Nigeria’s global image and reputation as a nation with highly dysfunctional institutions where bizarre things can happen.
The Nigerian Senate, an institution that should embody democracy, integrity, and justice, has instead chosen the path of tyranny and oppression. Rather than ensure an impartial investigation into these allegations, the Senate has instead ganged up against her in an outrageous display of impunity and intimidation. Make no mistake: this is not about Senate rules. This is about the silencing of a woman who has made serious allegations of misconduct at the highest level of government. The message could not be clearer: Women who refuse to cower, who refuse to be pawns in the grotesque game of male dominance, will be will be harassed, threatened, and ultimately crushed. The so-called “mature institution” that First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu so ardently defends has revealed itself to be an archaic boys’ club and a decaying relic of oppression – a crumbling fortress built to protect the powerful and punishes the courageous. How can an institution that prides itself on fairness and justice turn around and treat one of its own with such contempt? The answer is chillingly simple: entrenched misogyny, abuse of power, and a deep-seated fear of accountability.
It is a damning indictment that despite the existence of a formal petition detailing allegations of sexual harassment, the Senate has refused to lift a finger to investigate. Instead, it has orchestrated a shameful spectacle of vengeance to ensure Natasha is ostracized and humiliated. The timing of her suspension, coming immediately after she resubmitted her sexual harassment petition against Akpabio to the senate is no coincidence. It reeks of retaliation, and is the mark of a system so drunk on its own impunity that, it no longer even attempts to mask its vindictiveness. The gallant effrontery in asking Natasha to submit a written apology as a condition for the senate to consider lifting or reducing her suspension is whimsical, disdainful and naked provocation, amounting to a serious dereliction of duty that is unacceptable from an institution to who much has been given and from which much is expected.
This is not just an injustice; it is a harbinger of doom for democracy that sets a dangerous precedent. It signals that any senator who dares to challenge the cabal of power will be met with annihilation and summarily executed politically. It sends a chilling warning to women across Nigeria: stay silent, or risk destruction. But Natasha has refused to be intimidated. Her defiant words: This injustice against me will not be sustained. I will fight against it,” must ignite a fire in every Nigerian who still believes in justice, in truth, and in the fundamental right to speak without fear. Prominent voices, including former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili, former presidential spokesman Laolu Akande, and the Labor Party, have rightly condemned this travesty as a vicious abuse of power. It is a stain on our democracy that cannot be ignored. Nigerians must not let this stand. We must rise, we must resist, we must demand justice for Senator Natasha. Her constituents deserve representation. The allegations she has raised deserve a fair and independent investigation. The Senate must not be allowed to mutate into a lawless cartel that crushes dissent under its iron boot.
We call on all Nigerians to reject this disgraceful act and demand justice for Natasha. Her constituents deserve representation. The allegations she has raised deserve investigation. The Senate must not be allowed to function as a lawless entity where the powerful crush the voices of dissent. Nigerians must raise their voices in solidarity and unyielding defiance. Civil society organizations, legal professionals, and the international community must demand an independent investigation into these allegations and the unlawful suspension of Natasha. The Nigerian Senate must be held accountable for its despicable abuse of power. This is not just about one woman. This is about the very soul of our democracy. If we allow this travesty to fester, we embolden those who believe themselves above the law. If we let this injustice stand, if we remain silent, we hand absolute power to those who wield intimidation as governance. We must not allow Nigeria to descend into a nation where truth is punished and abuse is rewarded. Democracy dies in silence, but justice lives in resistance. We will not be silent. We will not be afraid. We will resist. The battle is not over. The struggle for justice has just begun.
