The senate in the statement emphasised that her suspension was due to "persistent acts of misconduct, blatant disregard for the provisions of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended), and gross indiscipline."
The Senate narrated that on February 25, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly refused to sit in her assigned seat during plenary, despite multiple requests from the Minority Leader and other senior senators, which was viewed as an act of open defiance.
She purportedly spoke without recognition from the presiding officer on the same day, violating established parliamentary procedures.
The Senate also accused her of engaging in "unruly and disruptive behaviour" that obstructed the orderly conduct of Senate proceedings and making abusive and disrespectful remarks against the Senate leadership.
Finally, the Senate stated that she defied summons from the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which was mandated to investigate cases of misconduct.
The Senate underscored that the actions were direct challenges to its authority and violated the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended), necessitating disciplinary measures to uphold the institution's integrity.
Addressing the allegations of s#xual harassment, the Senate clarified that Akpoti-Uduaghan's petition was dismissed due to non-compliance with procedural requirements, stating that "no petition regardless of its subject can be considered if it does not follow due process."
The Senate condemned media reports suggesting a link between her suspension and the harassment allegations as
"irresponsible and unethical," urging media organisations to correct these misrepresentations.
The release partly read,
"The Authority of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria firmly rebutes the deliberate misinformation and false narratives being circulated by certain media organisations regarding the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan.
Let it be unequivocally stated that Senator Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent acts of misconduct, blatant disregard for the provisions of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) and gross indiscipline-nothing more, nothing less.
It has come to the attention of the Senate that some media reports are attempting to falsely suggest that Senator Uduaghan's suspension was due to allegations of sexual harassment. This is completely untrue, misleading, and a calculated attempt to distort the facts.
If Senator Uduaghan had strictly followed our guiding principles, the Senate would have treated her petition based on merit in line with its practice. But she never obeyed the established practices of the institution where she was serving.
The disciplinary action was a response to her repeated violations of legislative decorum, including:
1. Refusing to sit in her assigned seat during plenary on 25th February 2025, despite multiple pleas from the Minority Leader and other ranking Senators-an act of open defiance and disorderly conduct.
2. Speaking without being recognized by the presiding officer, in clear violation of parliamentary practices and procedures on 25th February 2025:
3. Engaging in unruly and disruptive behavior, obstructing the orderly conduct of Senate proceedings.
4. Making abusive and disrespectful remarks against the leadership of the Senate.
5. Defying and refusing to comply with the summons of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges mandated to investigate cases of misconduct.
These actions represented a direct challenge to the Authority of the Senate and a violation of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) that govern the business of the Senate and the conduct of its members.
The disciplinary measure was, therefore, necessary and justified to restore order and uphold the integrity of the Senate as the country's foremost democratic institution.
From Sahara reporters
The Senate narrated that on February 25, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly refused to sit in her assigned seat during plenary, despite multiple requests from the Minority Leader and other senior senators, which was viewed as an act of open defiance.
She purportedly spoke without recognition from the presiding officer on the same day, violating established parliamentary procedures.
The Senate also accused her of engaging in "unruly and disruptive behaviour" that obstructed the orderly conduct of Senate proceedings and making abusive and disrespectful remarks against the Senate leadership.
Finally, the Senate stated that she defied summons from the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which was mandated to investigate cases of misconduct.
The Senate underscored that the actions were direct challenges to its authority and violated the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended), necessitating disciplinary measures to uphold the institution's integrity.
Addressing the allegations of s#xual harassment, the Senate clarified that Akpoti-Uduaghan's petition was dismissed due to non-compliance with procedural requirements, stating that "no petition regardless of its subject can be considered if it does not follow due process."
The Senate condemned media reports suggesting a link between her suspension and the harassment allegations as
"irresponsible and unethical," urging media organisations to correct these misrepresentations.
The release partly read,
"The Authority of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria firmly rebutes the deliberate misinformation and false narratives being circulated by certain media organisations regarding the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan.
Let it be unequivocally stated that Senator Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent acts of misconduct, blatant disregard for the provisions of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) and gross indiscipline-nothing more, nothing less.
It has come to the attention of the Senate that some media reports are attempting to falsely suggest that Senator Uduaghan's suspension was due to allegations of sexual harassment. This is completely untrue, misleading, and a calculated attempt to distort the facts.
If Senator Uduaghan had strictly followed our guiding principles, the Senate would have treated her petition based on merit in line with its practice. But she never obeyed the established practices of the institution where she was serving.
The disciplinary action was a response to her repeated violations of legislative decorum, including:
1. Refusing to sit in her assigned seat during plenary on 25th February 2025, despite multiple pleas from the Minority Leader and other ranking Senators-an act of open defiance and disorderly conduct.
2. Speaking without being recognized by the presiding officer, in clear violation of parliamentary practices and procedures on 25th February 2025:
3. Engaging in unruly and disruptive behavior, obstructing the orderly conduct of Senate proceedings.
4. Making abusive and disrespectful remarks against the leadership of the Senate.
5. Defying and refusing to comply with the summons of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges mandated to investigate cases of misconduct.
These actions represented a direct challenge to the Authority of the Senate and a violation of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) that govern the business of the Senate and the conduct of its members.
The disciplinary measure was, therefore, necessary and justified to restore order and uphold the integrity of the Senate as the country's foremost democratic institution.
From Sahara reporters
Okoo Noted, continue...🙄🙄
ReplyDeleteServe her right. Obey before complain.
ReplyDeleteMost women are just joining the bandwagon of condemning Sen Akpabio but ignoring the misbehaviour of Sen Akpoti-Uduaghan in the Senate chambers. Take both issues together. These two former lovers know what we don't know - it is love/knacking gone bad. The Senate has handled her disgraceful behaviour so let her go to court to handle the sexual indiscipline of Sen Akpabio, with concrete evidence. And let him face the disgrace and shame, if proven. All these incoherent and emotional statements and opinions by people, especially women, is of no meaning.
ReplyDeleteHmmm 😳😳😳
ReplyDeleteIn Nigeria the victims are always at fault. The blame is on them. Nigeria I hail thee
ReplyDeleteSo after reading this, this is what you understand. The problem you people have is once you support someone, you don’t listen to facts, that person always appears right.
DeleteRead your statement again and see if you make sense. If you think you are a victim, prove otherwise in everyway possible. Blind women activists, all of you. Same woman, several accusations of sexual harassment and all sorts against multiple men, including her current husband (I pity him so much). Both Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio know what the real issues are between them - the rest of us are just busy-bodies. Time will tell and we will be alive to know the truth by God's grace.
DeletePlease do tell us what the real issues are as you know it all biko
DeleteLet’s leave the dancing elephant in the room and focus on the little spider, crawling near its leg. So to you, we are all kids ba? Na so so indomie full awa head abi?
ReplyDeleteAll of a sudden, the Senate, aka Agbero central; made up of hoodlums, thugs, thieves, ogogoro masters and terrorist sponsors, has become a place where rules are sacred. Forget weighty allegations such as sexual harassment against the S.P. , that is not as serious as breaking our standing senate rules etc. Ride on o! You see, keep talking around the issue and playing mind games with unassuming Nigerians, who can be easily swayed. Continue to dole out your stolen cash to have people come on blogs to say the usual “Ashewo” or the boring “6 kids with 6 different men” nonsense. This time, your audacious disregard for the rule of law, your indirect intimidation tactics, shrouded in your lousy rule book, and your shoddy tactics to downplay a serious allegation such as sexual harassment, would be a stain you cannot wipe off.
Long after now, you ancient kindergarteners would be remembered as the bunch of jokers who defended the indefensible. Expecting any sensible action from the senate where someone who once led thugs to steal the mace, rose to become Dep Senate president, is farfetched. So we already expected your nonsense.
My dear Uncles, Fathers, grand fathers, great grandfathers and my absolutely incompetent mommies; don’t wear your dancing shoes just yet o. Better smoky jollof is being prepared for you and the caterer’s name is Natasha.
Madam Senator; over to you. You already know what you are up against. You are no stranger to political gangsterism. Let me remind you that this is Nigeria o! You fight crazy with crazy. These are not angels that fell from the heavens o. Na jaguda people with broken bottle in their agabada pockets, be dis o. They just changed location to the capital and added “Distinguished” to their names o. Logic, decorum and civility will not work here. If you are aggrieved; you strongly believe you have a case and are a victim of injustice, then, come out swinging. Do not hold back.
Good comment.
DeleteAnon 13.33, load of rubbish you wrote up there. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is cooking nothing. She is as morally dirty and guilty as Sen. Akpabio. Pls ask her how she got the N7Billion contract in Akwa Ibom and others in NDDC in the recent past, when Akpabio was Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry. Please ask her before you ignorant and busy-body women-activists fight an unknown battle. I pity all of you in that country called Nigeria, blindly supporting all these politicians (who are all friends and stealing comrades, by the way) stealing from the commonwealth to finance their elections into high positions of govt. Some of us have decided to leave the country for now, not because we are not comfortable but because of our sanity - some of us cannot stand the prevailing deceit and wickedness of people in govt, abject poverty, public stealing and general moral decadence as well as heightened insecurity sliding into anarchy.
DeleteGlenfiddich 18 years? 👏👏👏👏🥰
DeleteLoads of crap.
DeleteLolll
ReplyDeleteClown.
ReplyDeleteNigerian feminist and women in general are weak! You all sit there and watch this shameless power play against your fellow woman and kept quiet? Not only that, some even protested for her to be punished. You all talk big for nothing and you wonder why your female children are being sexually exploited by their lectures?
ReplyDeleteIn a sane country, the senate president would have been asked to step aside for investigation to be conducted. But no! Not in the so called giant of Africa. Go to other African countries like Ghana and Kenya and see what would have happened if this ugly situation popped up.
Women in Nigeria stand up ooo stand up!! Your voices are being reduced. Today is Natasha, tomorrow it could be you if you d
Sit aloof. Say No to s*xual harassment! It's not enough to tell victims to speak up. Support them when they find the courage to do so.
Your opinion! But most of you don't know the undercurrent of the fight between the two morally and sexually bankrupt individuals (Senators Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan)
Delete