Counsel to the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan, urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to tender an apology for relocating Natasha’s seat without prior notification.
While speaking on Arise Television, Barrister Giwa described the Senate President’s action as a violation of the Senate’s Standing Rules.
Barrister Giwa also clarified that it is the duty of the Senate President, under Order 25 of the Senate’s Standing Orders, to maintain decorum by following due process when matters of such nature surface in the Senate’s plenary session.
His words:
โWhen a Senatorโs seat is reassigned, it is the duty of the Senate President to ensure that the Clerk of the Senate formally communicates such changes to the affected Senator.
In this case, was Senator Natasha Uduaghan informed? The answer is no. This is a failure on the part of the National Assembly.
Let us not forget that a few months ago, when Senator Natasha Uduaghan attempted to speak on the Senate floor, the Senate President dismissed her with the remark, โThis is not a nightclub.โ That was an unparliamentary, derogatory statement unfit for the office of a Senate President.โ
Barrister Giwa also commented on the brutal sidelining that his client has faced since the incident in the House of Senate.
“The Senate President has since restricted her from participating in key international engagements where she previously represented Nigeria. Unlike her colleagues, she now funds her official duties personally, as the Senate and National Assembly have allegedly withheld her entitlements. This is nothing short of harassment.
โThe Senate President is not a monarch. His role is not governed by personal discretion but by the Senateโs standing rules. His duty is to uphold parliamentary principles, not to intimidate fellow lawmakers.โ
Speaking further, Barrister Giwa mentioned that the ongoing saga in the House of Senate is nothing short of gender discrimination, stating that a similar case was replicated with another Senator, Ireti Kingibe. Barrister Giwa said:
“The Senate Presidentโs past interactions with female Senators suggest a pattern. When Senator Ireti Kingibe attempted to speak on the Senate floor, she was similarly dismissed in an unprofessional manner. He later apologized, but the trend is not salutary. Would he have addressed a male Senator in the same way?โ he questioned.
Conclusively, Barr. Giwa dropped the bombshell that the House of Senate has rules and that “The National Assembly is not a family gathering where submission is demanded. It is an institution governed by rules and laws, and every Senator deserves equal respect and treatment.”
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