The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned what it described as a fresh move by the Senate leadership under Senator Godswill Akpabio to prevent Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming legislative duties after serving a six-month suspension.
This comes after the Clerk of the National Assembly reportedly sent a letter to the Kogi Central lawmaker, stating that she could not return to the Senate despite completing her suspension because the matter is still before the court.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP said the development was a calculated attempt to silence the opposition and deny the people of Kogi Central representation at the highest law-making body in the country.
“The attempt to use the National Assembly establishment against an elected Senator, in gross violation of the Constitution and Standing Rules of the Senate, is highly provocative and constitutes a clear and present danger to democracy and national stability,” the statement read.
The opposition party accused the Akpabio-led Senate and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government of using underhand tactics to stifle dissenting voices, describing it as part of a “creeping totalitarianism” under the APC.
It further alleged that the action against Akpoti-Uduaghan reflects a broader pattern of harassment of women, citing long-standing allegations of misconduct leveled against Senate President Akpabio.
“The PDP demands that the Senate President come clean on these allegations instead of using the National Assembly to harass and intimidate Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan,” Ologunagba said.
The party maintained that the senator had already been subjected to what it called an “unjust” six-month suspension and insisted that nothing should stop her from resuming immediately.
It also warned the Clerk of the National Assembly against being used as a political tool, urging him to remain neutral in line with his bureaucratic role.
The PDP further called on the international community, democratic institutions, and rights advocacy groups to condemn what it termed a renewed attack on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s mandate.
While urging her to ignore the Clerk’s letter, the PDP reassured that she should prepare to resume her legislative duties without hindrance.