***Says No Force Can Silence Kogi Central’s Voice
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned in clear terms the reported attempt by the Clerk of the National Assembly to stop Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming at the Senate after enduring an unjust six-month suspension slammed on her by Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
This shameful move reeks of a deliberate plot by the APC-controlled Senate leadership to rob the people of Kogi Central of their voice and deny them representation at the highest lawmaking institution in Nigeria. It is unconstitutional, provocative, and a grave assault on democracy.
National Publicity Secretary
Hon. Debo Ologunagba in a statement said to use the National Assembly bureaucracy as a weapon against an elected Senator is not only illegal but dangerous to national stability. According to him, what is happening is part of the APC’s wider script to gag the opposition, muzzle dissent, and shrink democratic space.
It is equally disturbing that this plot targets a woman, adding weight to the allegations of harassment and sustained attempts to silence female voices—accusations that have long trailed the current Senate President.
The PDP demanded that Senator Akpabio come clean on these allegations instead of hiding behind the National Assembly machinery to intimidate Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. The unlawful six-month suspension she already endured is more than enough.
We caution the Clerk of the National Assembly to withdraw the offensive letter, return to neutrality, and resist being used as a pawn to undermine democracy.
The PDP calls on Nigerians, the international community, rights groups, and democratic institutions to rise and condemn this fresh assault on the rule of law.
Our message to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is clear: ignore the distractions, prepare to resume, and continue to serve. The people of Kogi Central sent you to the Senate, and no force can silence their mandate.