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The decision to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was not due to personal differences with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, his Communications and Strategy Consultant, Sir Kenny Okolugbo, said yesterday.
On claims that her suspension had to do with her sexual harassment allegations, Okolugbo said: “Senator Akpabio acted within the bounds of the Constitution and Senate rules.
“The decision to suspend her was not personal. It followed due process under Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution and Senate Standing Orders.”
He said the Senate had left a clear pathway for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return by including a proviso in her suspension terms.
“All she needed to do was apologise publicly for her behaviour on the 20th of February 2025, and her suspension would have been lifted.
“Even the Brekete Family, where she ran for sympathy, advised her to apologise.”
On the way out, Okolugbo said the ball remains in Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s court.
Read Also: No court order mandated Natasha’s return to Senate, says legal expert
“If she apologises and retracts her claims, this ends immediately. But if she continues on this path, the legal process will take its course,” he said.
Okolugbo told reporters that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s July 22 return to the National Assembly was a premeditated stunt devoid of any legal basis, citing her own court filings to assert that the judgment she relies on did not nullify her suspension.
The spokesman noted that had the court ordered her recall, proper procedures required the Clerk to inform Senate leadership, which would then deliberate before taking action.
He also rejected allegations Natasha made against the Senate President, ranging from sexual harassment to assassination plots.
Addressing concerns that her Kogi Central constituency had suffered due to her suspension, Okolugbo said the Senate continued work on her legislative interests.
“The bill establishing the Federal Medical Centre, Ihima, Kogi State, was passed into law during her suspension. She also sponsored the Gold Reserve Bill and Diaspora Banking Bill — both of which are moving forward. Her people were never abandoned.”
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