The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), has stated that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi East) cannot position herself as bigger than the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the ranking senator, Adeola stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for a flagrant violation of the Senate Standing Orders and the Nigerian Constitution.
“The Senate did the appropriate thing in her suspension. As senators, we are under oath to abide by the Constitution and the Standing Orders,” Adeola declared.
He further criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan for taking legal action against the Senate instead of exhausting internal mechanisms, stating that her petition cannot be entertained until the court rules on the case.
Addressing allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senator Adeola dismissed them as an attack on Nigeria’s parliamentary institution, asserting that they lack concrete evidence.
Adeola reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to gender inclusivity, warning the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) not to be swayed into undermining Nigeria’s legislature.
“I want to call on the International Parliamentary Union, IPU, not to be coaxed to do anything that will diminish the status of the parliament as the bastion of democracy. IPU should not succumb to being used as an instrument of blackmail against a national institution of parliament.” he stated.
He concluded by stating that Akpoti-Uduaghan remains suspended until she meets the conditions for reconsideration or obtains a court ruling.