Senate Urged to Uphold Akpoti’s Mandate by 1,000 Women Organisations

Over 1,000 women’s civil society organizations have joined forces to form the Coalition of Concerned Women for Legislative Integrity (CCWLI), which has called on the Nigerian Senate to promptly appeal the Federal High Court’s decision to reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The coalition characterized Friday’s ruling as “deeply troubling” and “a potential threat to the sanctity of parliamentary discipline and democratic integrity” in a statement released in Abuja on Monday.

The national president of the coalition, Barr Nana Amina Abdullahi, urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Red Chamber leadership to uphold the legislature’s independence and “not let populist sentiment or outside pressure take precedence over the responsibility of enforcing accountability within the chamber.”

According to Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month Senate suspension was disproportionate and illegitimate. Declaring that the Senate lacked the authority to impose such a lengthy suspension that would essentially silence a constituency, she ordered the senator from Kogi Central to return immediately.

The women’s organization, however, issued a warning that the ruling would “open the floodgates of indiscipline, misinformation, and abuse of legislative privilege” in Nigeria’s parliament if it is not contested.

The organization stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension followed her complete disrespect for the red chamber’s leadership and senate regulations.

“We are female. We’re moms… However, we must not ignore irresponsibility masquerading as bravery. When a woman is elected to the prestigious chamber, she must honor that position and refrain from using it to pick fights or disparage her state without doing her research, Abdullahi stated.

The coalition defended the Senate’s disciplinary authority and called the six-month suspension “a proportionate response to the gravity of Natasha’s conduct.”

Judge Nyako’s claim that the suspension violated the rights of Kogi Central inhabitants was also denied by the group.

The representative of Kogi Central was suspended, not the locals. Additionally, people are entitled to better than a lawmaker whose actions frequently turn into provocation rather than policy, the statement said.

Abdullahi claimed that certain global organizations and regional activists were “weaponizing feminism” in order to justify inappropriate behavior and subvert established norms.

“Ignorance is not a sign of feminism.” Encouraging the misuse of parliamentary immunity is not empowering women. The punishment would have been uncontested if a male senator had made such claims without supporting documentation. “This selective outrage is dangerous and hypocritical,” she said.

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While acknowledging the court’s role in resolving conflicts, the coalition maintained that judicial restraint was necessary when it came to internal legislative discipline.

They called on the Senate to challenge the ruling all the way to the Supreme Court, arguing that clarity on the boundaries of judicial involvement in legislative procedures is essential to the long-term viability of Nigeria’s democracy.

“To back down now would be to cede the Senate’s constitutional power to punish its members. We are urging the Senate to promptly launch an appeal, not only to defend the Natasha case but also to uphold its institutional honor.

Additionally, the group criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan for what it called “a pattern of political exhibitionism,” claiming that she uses every disciplinary matter as a platform for gendered media spectacles.

Provocation and confrontation have been the cornerstones of Natasha’s political career. Though it could receive praise on social media, Abdullahi asserted that governance is not a type of performance art.

The coalition called the court’s N5 million fine for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s breach of its previous gag order a “mild but symbolic rebuke” and asked the senator to exercise more self-control in her public behavior.

We hope she pays the fine discreetly and takes some time to think. “Democracy is not a theater for perpetual drama,” the group declared.

The coalition announced that it will be formally requesting a prompt action to file an appeal in a letter to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, copying all presiding officers.

“Our stance is unwavering: the Senate must uphold its ruling unless a higher court declares otherwise. “That verdict shouldn’t be the final word,” Abdullahi said.