Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has accused the Nigerian Senate leadership of lawlessness after being forcefully denied access to the National Assembly complex, despite a court order reinstating her to office.
Speaking to journalists outside the locked gates of the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan condemned the deployment of heavily armed security personnel who barred her entry. She described the incident as a blatant abuse of power orchestrated by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she accused of attempting to subvert the judiciary.
“This is a shameful day for our democracy,” she said. “I was elected by the good people of Kogi Central to represent them in the Senate. Yet, today, I was blocked by gun-wielding officers acting under orders, with no explanation given—despite a valid Federal High Court ruling restoring my seat.”
The lawmaker was suspended in March 2025 following allegations she leveled against Akpabio, including claims of sexual harassment and abuse of office. Her suspension was later declared illegal by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, who ordered her immediate reinstatement.
However, the Senate leadership has refused to comply with the court’s ruling, and on Tuesday, personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were stationed at multiple checkpoints around the Assembly complex, effectively blocking her entry.
Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed outrage at the show of force, calling the armed blockade a “cowardly and unconstitutional act” against an unarmed female senator. “The number of police officers, all armed and aggressive, charging at peaceful civilians and a senator, is an assault on Nigeria’s democracy,” she lamented.
She also accused Senate President Akpabio of personally appealing the court’s decision—despite the Senate as an institution not taking any legal step to contest the ruling. “Akpabio is not greater than the Constitution,” she declared. “The office of the Senate President cannot override the will of the people or the judgment of a competent court.”
Describing the 10th Senate under Akpabio’s leadership as “the worst in Nigeria’s history,” she said the chamber has degenerated into a tool for suppressing dissent and trampling on the rule of law.
As of the time of this report, there has been no official comment from the Senate leadership regarding the incident or their refusal to obey the court order.
The confrontation has sparked nationwide debate over legislative accountability and respect for judicial authority, with many calling for the immediate enforcement of the court’s ruling and the protection of democratic institutions.
