Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan resumed legislative responsibilities in the National Assembly on Tuesday after a months-long ban, describing Senate President Godswill Akpabio as a “dictator.”
Her return came when the Deputy Director of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, unlocked her office in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing.
Natasha, who had been suspended, remained steadfast when the session resumed, claiming that she has “no apology to tender.”
She said, “In retrospect, it is actually amazing how much we have had to pay in the past six months, from the unjust suspension to the recall. But we survived the recall, blackmail, and that crazy lady on Facebook.
“It is amazing what we had to pass through, and I give God Almighty the glory and my deepest appreciation to the people of Kogi Central and Nigerians at large. To my husband, I love you dearly. I pray all men support their wives in the same manner you have supported me.
“In everything, sometimes it is good to push the institution to the test. We can’t cower in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me as if I were a servant or domestic staff in his house.
“It is so unfortunate that we will have a National Assembly being run by such a dictator. It is totally unacceptable.”
The office had been under lock since March 6, 2025, when the senator was suspended from the Red Chamber.
In a video shared on Tuesday, Adedeji was seen removing the seal.
“I, Alabi Adedeji, Deputy Director, Sergeant-at-Arms, hereby unseal the office. The office is hereby unsealed. Thank you,” he declared.
Upon resuming, Natasha, who has been at the center of a protracted conflict with Senate leadership, maintained her resistance, stating that she had “no apology to tender.”
The troubled senator was suspended for six months in March, prohibiting her from all 10th Senate operations, due to suspected misconduct during her protest against Akpabio’s relocation of her seat on February 20.
Although her suspension officially ended in September, she was unable to return due to legal issues and opposition from Senate leadership. On July 4, the Federal High Court in Abuja found that the suspension was harsh and illegal.
Following the decision, Natasha wrote to the Senate to express her desire to resume her duties, but the National Assembly denied her request.
It is uncertain whether Tuesday’s development restores her full senatorial rights and whether she will be able to sit with her colleagues when plenary returns on October 7.
Meanwhile, the Senate leadership has rescheduled plenary sessions from September 23 to October 7, 2025.
The postponement was announced in an internal document signed by the Chief of Staff to Senate President Chinedu Akubueze.
The change in schedule has raised worries in the National Assembly, as it extends the chamber’s usual recess by another two weeks.
While no official rationale was provided, sources told our correspondent that the delay was meant to allow parliamentarians to fully participate in the Independence Day celebrations on October 1.
In the message marked “Notice of Shift in Plenary Resumption Date,” Akubueze apologized to the senators for the late notice.
It read, “This is to respectfully inform distinguished senators that the resumption of the plenary sitting of the Senate, earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 23rd September, 2025, has been shifted to Tuesday, 7th October, 2025.
“Any inconvenience this short notice may cause is deeply regretted. Distinguished senators are kindly invited to note the postponement and adjust their schedules accordingly.
“Thank you for your kind understanding, and God bless.”
The Senate took its annual recess on July 24.
At the time, Akpabio justified the move as an act of “chamber reciprocity,” since members of the House of Representatives had also embarked on a break in line with the legislative calendar.
However, critical debates and pending motions, such as oversight inquiries into government spending and executive appointments, will still be on hold.
