Over 1,000 women-focused 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.
In a statement released in Abuja on Monday, the coalition called Friday’s ruling “deeply troubling” and “a potential threat to the sanctity of democratic integrity and parliamentary discipline.”
Red Chamber leadership and Senate President Godswill Akpabio were urged by the coalition’s national president, Barr Nana Amina Abdullahi, to uphold the legislature’s independence and “not allow populist sentiment or external pressure to override the duty of enforcing accountability within the chamber.”
The Federal High Court in Abuja’s Justice Binta Nyako had declared that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month Senate suspension was unjustified and disproportionate. Citing the Senate’s inability to impose such a lengthy ban that would essentially silence a constituency, she ordered the Kogi Central senator to return immediately.
However, if the ruling is not overturned, the women’s organization cautioned, it may “open the floodgates of indiscipline, misinformation, and abuse of legislative privilege” in Nigeria’s parliament.
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Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, the group argued, came after she completely disregarded Senate regulations and the red chamber’s leadership.
We are female. We’re moms. We are not, however, immune to recklessness masquerading as bravery. According to Abdullahi, a woman chosen to the prestigious chamber must honorably bear that position and refrain from using it to further personal grudges or disparage her state without doing her research.
The six-month suspension was declared “a proportionate response to the gravity of Natasha’s conduct” by the coalition, which insisted that the Senate had exercised its disciplinary authority.
Justice Nyako’s claim that the suspension violated the rights of Kogi Central constituents was also denied by the group.
Their representative was suspended, not the residents of Kogi Central. Additionally, the statement said, “They are entitled to better than a lawmaker whose actions frequently turn into provocation rather than policy.”
Abdullahi charged that some local activists and foreign organizations were “weaponizing feminism” in order to cover up inappropriate behavior and subvert institutional norms.
“To condone indiscipline is hardly feminist. The misuse of parliamentary immunity is not a sign of women’s empowerment. Had a male senator made identical accusations without supporting documentation, the penalty would have been upheld without discussion. She declared, “This selective outrage is dangerous and hypocritical.”
The alliance emphasized the necessity for judicial moderation in cases involving internal legislative punishment, while acknowledging the court’s role in resolving disagreements.
Clarity on the boundaries of judicial interference in legislative procedures is essential to the long-term viability of Nigeria’s democracy, they said, urging the Senate to appeal the ruling all the way to the Supreme Court.
Backing down now would be tantamount to ceding the Senate’s constitutional power to punish its members. In order to protect the Natasha case and its institutional dignity, we are urging the Senate to promptly launch an appeal.
Further, the group criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan for what it called “a pattern of political exhibitionism,” accusing her of transforming every disciplinary matter into a gendered media spectacle.
The foundation of Natasha’s political career has been confrontation and provocation. “Government is not performance art, even though it might receive praise on social media,” Abdullahi stated.
The coalition called the N5 million fine the court imposed on Akpoti-Uduaghan for breaking its previous gag order a “mild but symbolic rebuke” and asked the senator to exercise more self-control in her public behavior.
We’re hoping she pays the fine in private and takes some time to think. The group argued that democracy is not a theater for nonstop drama.
In order to urge a prompt action toward filing an appeal, the group announced that it will be formally writing to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, copying all presiding officers.
Our stance is unwavering: the Senate’s ruling must be upheld unless a higher court rules differently. “That ruling shouldn’t be the final word,” Abdullahi said.
