The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has opened up on moves by embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) to get the court to intervene in her standoff with the leadership of the Senate which suspended her for six months.
Speaking at his Maitama guest house in Abuja on Friday night when he hosted the Niger Delta Ethnic Youths Nationality Forum (NDEYNA), Senator Akpabio said the National Assembly is guided by the constitution on separation of powers.
(Lapalabras was there and witnessed the engagement).
The Senate President also explained that the Senate does not interfere in court processes, adding that “if people have gone to court with a petition, they cannot lay the same petition before the Senate.”
He further took a swipe at Senator Natasha`s appearance on an Arise TV Live interview and on “Brekete Family,” a reality programme on human rights radio where she made scathing allegations of sexual harassment and victimisation against the Senate President.
According to him, “things that have to do with the hallowed chamber of the National Assembly cannot be solved by TV or radio commentary.”
Recall, on February 20, during plenary, Senator Natasha refused to move to a new seat assigned to her, alleging rather that she had had no prior information of the rearrangement in the seating order.
She continued by removing the new name tag on her seat, as she insisted on speaking from her position, citing order 10 which provides privilege cover on Senators.
Her behaviour which was described as “unethical and unbecoming of a Senator” by a report of the Senate Committee on ethics, code of conduct and public petition, resulted in the Senate President ordering the Sergeant at Arms to escort her out of the chambers.
At plenary on Thursday, the House, acting on the report of the ethics committee slammed a six months suspension on her, and withdrew all privileges due to her.
But while responding to NDEYNA`s demands, which includes a call to treat the crisis as a family affair, Senator Akpabio criticised “voices from Adamawa and Kwara shouting” over the matter, and urged better understanding of the facts.
According to him, the Senate would resist “gang up by the opposition,” as he assured the Niger Delta youths that all would be done to protect the mandate of the region which he said is privileged to produce the Senate President for the tenth Assembly.
While calling on Nigerians to be careful in electing people to the National Assembly, the Senate President encouraged elected representatives to make up their minds to conform to the rules and regulations of the Senate.
Meanwhile, NDEYNA led by the National Chairman, Jonathan Lokpobiri, disclosed that the group was “deeply concerned” over the crisis in the Senate, as he reminded the Senate President that “the Uduaghan family is a loyal and known family in Delta State.”
Continuing, he warned those he described as “war merchants in Nigeria and beyond” that any attempt to drag the Senate President down will not be accepted.
