Senate Backs Akpabio with Vote of Confidence Despite Controversy
The Senate, on Thursday, passed a vote of confidence on its president, GodswillAkpabio, in the wake of the recent development in the upper chamber of the National. Assembly. The development came 48 hours after the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central, addressed the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York, and ceased the opportunity to report Akpabio to the global body. But embattled Akpoti-Uduaghan, has already initiated contempt proceedings against Akpabio and others over alleged disobedience to the valid order of court, which had temporarily restrained them from taking any disciplinary action against her. Curiously, the amalgamated Southern Nigeria Youths Forum has warned the northern leaders and the Arewa Youth Assembly to stop their campaign of calumny against Akpabio over allegations of sexual harassment by Akpoti-Uduaghan. This was as the Arewa Revival Project (ARP), has opposed the 48-hour ultimatum recently issued by the Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL) to Akpabio, over the matter. At the same time, a coalition of Civil Society Group for Peace, Security, Good Governance, Equity and Justice in Conjunction with Media Practitioners for Development, has expressed worry that sexual harrassment allegation by Senator Natasha and her subsequent suspension by the Nigerian Senate has taken an international dimension. Akpoti-Uduaghan told the global body that she was suspended for raising issue of sexual harassment against the Senate President, contrary to the position of the senate that she was punished for misconduct. Thus, the Senate in its resolution urged Nigerians not to be distracted by the issue of sexual harassment raised against Akpabio by Akpoti-Uduaghan. The Red Chamber said the matter was already in the court of law, which would not allow it dabble into it based on the order 40 of its standing rules. The vote of confidence was passed during plenary following a motion moved to that effect by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) and seconded by the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewumi(Osun West) Bamidele rose under order 41 and 51 to raise a matter of urgent national importance to draw the attention of his colleagues to the public discourse that had been diverting the attention of the Senate in the last two weeks. He said, “Based on the kind of distraction that we have witnessed in the last two weeks as a Senate and as a representative of the Nigerian people, there is the need for us to rest this matter so that we can concentrate on the mandates for which we were elected by the Nigerian people. “There’s no doubting the fact, or there’s no pretending about the fact that members of public have been genuinely interested in matters happening within this hallowed chamber in the last two weeks, especially with respect to the allegation by one of our distinguished members, home and abroad, as to whether or not she had been sexually harassed. “I feel it is important once and for all that we place on record where we are on this matter and rest the matter as an institution so that we can concentrate while we allow the court of law and any other agencies who constitute such matters to do their job. “I begin by recognising the right of members of public to subject what we do to utmost scrutiny. And I recognise the fact that it is the people that can criticise the government, because we’re a part of the government,” he said. Bamidele stressed the need for the Senate to explain the true position of Nigerians, whom he said, were currently being misled by wrong narratives in certain quarters. Meanwhile, Akpabio and Senator Solomon Adeola, have faulted the appearance of Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting held at United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday. They said Akpoti-Uduaghan’s action had seriously embarrassed Nigeria. Akpabio while presiding over plenary on Thursday said, “I’m aware further that she (Akpoti-Uduaghan) has now externalise the matter by attempting to embarrass the Federal Republic of Nigeria by going to give a narrative at the IPU UN event, totally different from what occurred in the Senate. “But I want to thank Rt. Honourable member, Kafilat Okpara, who had to give a press conference in New York to caution the international press not to vilify Nigeria, but to note that the facts presented by her were totally out of tune with what occurred in the Nigerian parliament and that we have our own internal mechanisms of resolving issues in Nigeria. “Outside this parliament, we also have the judiciary which she is even standing before the judiciary, so I don’t know why she would do so. Even here she has brought a petition and she has not allowed us to even look into it. She went to court and then she has not allowed the court to look into it. “She has gone to the international community and she may not even allow the international community to look into it. She might decide to run to…I don’t know where. I don’t want to be misquoted. “But the reality is that we remain resolute. We are law abiding. We operate through the rules of the Senate, which is an extension of the powers and privileges given to us by the grund norm, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Similarly, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola, said Akpoti-Uduaghan, could not position her self as bigger than the Senate. In a statement personally signed, Adeola stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for flagrant violation of the Senate Standing Orders and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has initiated contempt proceedings against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and others over alleged disobedience to the valid order of court which had temporarily restrained them from taking any disciplinary action against her. The move, which commenced with the filing of Form 48 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, was sequel to her six-month suspension by the Senate last week. The Form 48 which is a notice of consequence of disobedience of an order of courtwas issued in suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025 filed by the Kogi Central Senator to enforce her rights. Besides Akpabio, other alleged contemnors were the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuen. The notice of disobedience of court order was signed by the registrar of the court pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, 2004, together with the notice of consequences of disobedience of order of the court made on March 4. The defendants/contemnors in the application were urged to take notice of their willful disobedience of the order of the court made by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on March 4. It said the alleged disobedience rendered the senate president, the committee chairman and the NASS clerk “liable for contempt of court, for which you may be committed to prison unless you comply with the said order.” It said, “Take Further Notice that despite being duly served with the enrolled order on March 5, 2025, you, the defendants/contemnors, have deliberately and contumaciously disregarded its binding directive, proceeding with acts in flagrant defiance of the authority of this honourable court.” Akpoti-Uduaghan had, in a motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, sued NASS clerk and the Senate as 1st and 2nd defendants. She also listed the President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Senator Neda Imasuen, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct as 3rd and 4th defendants respectively. The Amalgamated Southern Nigeria Youths Forum has warned the northern leaders and the Arewa Youth Assembly to stop their campaign of calumny against President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio over allegations of sexual harassment by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The youths at a news conference in Abuja, addressed by their President, Hon. Victor Oleh, threatened drastic economic disruption if attacks on Akpabio continued. The forum accused the northern youths of using Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as a proxy to harass Southern leadership, specifically targeting Akpabio. “We will not sit back while northern interests exploit ethnic politics to destabiliseour leadership. If these attacks continue, we have the capacity to respond in ways that will shake the nation,” it said. The warning came amid accusations that the allocation of multiple Liquefied Natural Gas plants to Kogi State has unfairly sidelined the Niger Delta states. The Arewa Revival Project (ARP) has opposed the 48-hour ultimatum recently issued by the Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL) to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The controversy arose after AYAGL, led by Abdul Danbature, called for mass protests and the occupation of the National Assembly in response to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the ARP Coordinator, Muttaka Ibrahim, described the ultimatum as inflammatory, divisive, and counterproductive to national peace and stability. Stressing that it was an affront to democratic institutions, he emphasised that all disputes should be addressed through due process and the legal framework. “The Arewa Revival Project (ARP) wishes to categorically oppose the recent 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL) to Senator Godswill Akpabio concerning the suspension of Senator Natasha Uduaghan. “Such ultimatums not only disregard the established rules and regulations governing the operations of the National Assembly, but they also incite unnecessary tension and unrest. “While we respect the right of any organisation or individual to express their concerns, we believe the approach taken by the AYAGL is inflammatory, divisive, and ultimately counterproductive to the peace and stability of our great nation. “We, therefore, find it necessary to set the record straight and urge all concerned citizens to adopt more responsible and peaceful avenues for resolving grievances.” A coalition of Civil Society Group for Peace, Security, Good Governance, Equity and Justice in Conjunction with Media Practitioners for Development has expressed worry that sexual harassment allegation by Senator Natasha Akpoti and her subsequent suspension by the Nigerian Senate has taken an international dimension. While addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre, Utako, Abuja, they said the issue was causing a major distraction to the normal legislative business. They referred to the decision of Senator Natasha to take up her compliant at Inter- Parliamentary Union meeting in Geneva Switzerland, cautioning that she should to stop distracting the Nigerian Senate. Leaders of the CSOs, James Okoronkwo and Mr Johnson Eze, said the nation has more serious issues demanding legislative action than to continue wasting time of frivolity. “It is with a great sense of patriotism, dedication to equity and gender inclusiveness and good governance that we address you this afternoon. “Ordinarily, we would have ignored this matter especially as the Senate in conformity with standing rules has addressed it but a woman crying victimisation is like a sheep found dead in lion’s Dane. It requires conscious clarification to decipher the innocent.”
Admin | 2025-03-14 07:31:45