Following the six months suspension of the lawmaker representing Kogi central senatorial district, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, by the Nigerian Senate on Thursday, a coalition of Civil Society Group of Kogi Central, Kogi Central People’s Alliance, has condemned the action.
Speaking on behalf of the group on Thursday in Okene during a press briefing, General Coordinator, Kogi Central People’s Alliance, Baba Abdulrazaq, condemned the verdict, describing it as lacking fair hearing.
“Needless to state that democracy thrives on a foundation of fairness and justice. It was the height of abuse of power to see a presiding officer presides over a matter he’s involved in, this is unheard of in any decent democracy”, he said.
The group further condemned the resolution of the Senate to withdraw all the rights and benefits of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, nothing that even with the suspension she remains a Senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, and as such should not be deprived of the rights and privileges attached to the office.
The group maintained that the senatorial district will continue to show support for the lawmaker for being an exceptional representative through the life impacting motions she moved in the chamber and the tangible dividends of democracy she has brought so far to her constituency.
“That she will not be in the Senate for the stipulated time has not taken anything away from her and our mandate she carries, they have no rights to deny her of her dues, in this regards, her allowances and other entitlements that’s due to a duly elected Senator.
” Senator Natasha has done a lot for us, within her 16 months in office as a Senator, from sponsoring critical bills to providing water to our communities, lighting up our streets with solar street lights, construction of and reconstruction of schools, empowering pur youths and women in various trades, providing jobs for our young and jobless graduates, providing supports for our market women, facilitating five LNG gas plants to our constituency”, he concluded.
The group further stated that they are optimistic justice will he served.
