Prominent activist Aisha Yesufu has declared her intention to accompany Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the National Assembly on Tuesday, in a bold show of support amid the senator’s ongoing battle with the Senate over her suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, is seeking to resume her legislative duties following a recent ruling by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court declared her March suspension by the Senate unconstitutional and called for her reinstatement.
Despite the ruling, the Senate President’s legal team has filed an appeal, arguing that the judiciary overstepped its jurisdiction by interfering in parliamentary affairs.
Speaking during an Interview on Monday, Yesufu criticised the Senate’s refusal to comply with the court’s decision, warning that continued defiance undermines the rule of law.
“Senator Natasha has every right to resume office, and by tomorrow, she is not going to resume alone,” Yesufu said. “We’ll be with her and stand with her. And if the Senate decides they are going to kill us, let them kill us.”
Yesufu also condemned what she described as systemic discrimination against women in Nigerian politics.
“We have only four women in the Senate out of 109 members, and yet you’re going after one of them , a woman doing her job. Enough of treating us as second-class citizens,” she said.
The activist argued that the Senate’s suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan was not only unlawful but a violation of democratic principles.
“The Senate didn’t make Natasha a senator , her constituents did. The court ruled the suspension unconstitutional, and there’s no basis to deny her access to the chamber,” she added.
Yesufu also criticised the judiciary, accusing it of increasingly yielding to political pressure.
“The judiciary, which should be the last hope of the common man, is now being used by corrupt politicians. Even when judgments are passed, implementation is influenced by the body language of the political elite,” she claimed.
Meanwhile, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has reaffirmed her decision to return to the Senate on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, despite the ongoing legal tussle.
Speaking from Ihima, her hometown in Kogi State, she said: “I’ve written to the Senate again, telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd. The court has made a decision. They may argue that it’s not an order, but it is a decision.”
The Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan on March 6, 2025, following a dispute over seating arrangements and her accusation of sexual misconduct against Senate President Godswill Akpabio , an allegation he has denied.
Despite the Federal High Court ruling, the Senate reaffirmed its stance on Sunday, maintaining that Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot return until the six-month suspension expires. It argued that no binding court order mandates her reinstatement at this time.
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