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FG has announced plans to intervene in the leadership crisis of the National Assembly following the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
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The Minister of Women Affairs, Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim, stated that the government would engage stakeholders to ensure justice is tempered with mercy.
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Women groups have rejected the suspension, describing it as an assault on democracy and an attempt to silence women in leadership.
The Federal Government has announced plans to intervene in the leadership crisis of the National Assembly following the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim, stated that the government would engage stakeholders to ensure justice is tempered with mercy.
“We’re engaging all the stakeholders to ensure that they temper justice with mercy,” Suleiman-Ibrahim told State House correspondents during the Meet-the-Press Programme at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
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Her comments came barely 24 hours after the 10th Senate suspended Natasha for six months.
The lawmaker had submitted a petition alleging she had been sexually harassed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. Natasha first raised the alarm on February 28.
However, the Senate dismissed her petition on procedural grounds as the ethics committee recommended her suspension, saying she had brought ridicule to the upper chamber.
Reacting to the development, women groups rejected the suspension, describing it as an assault on democracy and an attempt to silence women in leadership.
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The coalition threatened to mobilize women for a massive protest if the decision was not reversed.
“The Senate’s decision is not just an injustice against one woman; it is an attack on the democratic rights of the people she represents. This is a dangerous precedent that sends a message to every Nigerian who dares to challenge power,” said Zainab Mohammed, one of the coalition leaders.
The President and Founder of the Pan African Young Women Development Initiative, Dr. Jophia Gupar, stated that the issue transcended Natasha as an individual and affected all women.
Senate Suspends Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan For Six Months
The Nigerian Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP Kogi Central) for six months, following allegations of disorderly conduct during a plenary session on February 20, 2025.
The suspension was based on the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conducts, and Public Petitions, which investigated the allegations against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
