Recently, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke about the well publicized altercation between herself and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. As part of a changed seating arrangement, Akpabio asked Natasha to leave her seat, which sparked the altercation in the Senate chamber. Fellow politicians witnessed the heated exchange that resulted from Natasha’s refusal to cooperate.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
In an interview with Brekete Family, a human rights program, Senator Natasha explained her decision to challenge the directive. She clarified that while she may have spoken out of turn, her actions were intended to protect her rights as a sitting senator. According to her, the situation escalated when Akpabio attempted to announce her suspension for not vacating her seat.
Natasha revealed that when it appeared she might be suspended on the spot, she invoked Senate Order 10, a procedural rule that allows senators to safeguard their privileges. This rule permits senators to claim their right to fair treatment if they believe they are being unjustly targeted. Rather than facing immediate suspension, she stated that the issue should have been referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee, which would review the case impartially.
By invoking this rule, Natasha believes she prevented an unjust suspension, as it would have been done without a fair hearing. She emphasized that the proper course of action would have been for the case to go through the committee, where the matter could be discussed and resolved. Her decision to speak up was driven by the need to ensure that her rights were respected.
She expressed that her actions were not a challenge to Akpabio’s authority but rather a defense of her constitutional rights as a member of the Senate. Natasha firmly believes that every senator is entitled to a fair process, and she took steps to ensure that this principle was upheld.
According to her, “I had to invoke that order which was a right of every senator who felt their rights were being infringed upon. If I had not done that I would have been suspended on the floor so I had to say that to prevent the suspension at that point”.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
