Former Adamawa North Senator, Elisha Ishaku Abbo, has strongly criticized the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the 10th Senate, describing it as unfair and politically motivated.
He further dismissed any attempt to recall her as fraudulent, insisting that “nobody can recall Natasha.”
Abbo made these remarks during an interview on Arise News on Wednesday, April 2, where he openly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of high-handedness in handling Natasha’s case.
According to him, Akpabio’s approach lacked fairness and maturity, drawing comparisons to his own experience with former Senate President Bukola Saraki during the 8th Senate.
“In the case of Natasha, it took a different dimension.
He sat like the emperor that he claims he is and said the woman should be suspended for six months, withdrew her security, stopped payment of her salary, barred her from being seen near the National Assembly building, and even ordered the Inspector General of Police not to provide her with security,” Abbo stated.
Furthermore, Abbo raised concerns over Natasha’s security following her suspension.
He argued that by withdrawing her security, the Senate President had exposed her to potential danger.
“In another way, he exposed her to be killed. When you withdraw somebody’s security—which is not right—that means you are exposing her to be killed,” he explained.
Abbo emphasized that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had to reconsider the withdrawal of Natasha’s security, recognizing the potential risks involved.
Another point raised by Abbo was the alleged disregard for legal proceedings by the Senate.
He pointed out that Natasha had already secured a court order preventing any investigation into her alleged misconduct until the case was fully heard.
However, the Senate proceeded with the suspension, which he labeled as contempt of court.
“The Senate went against the court judgement and suspended her—that is contempt of court,” he said.
He further accused the judiciary of yielding to political pressure, claiming that instead of taking action against Akpabio for contempt, the judge handling the case withdrew his own judgment and stepped away from the matter.
“It was after they finished suspending Natasha that they went to court to vacate the order barring them. And I’m sorry to use this word, but instead of arresting Akpabio for contempt of court, the judge cowardly vacated his own judgement and recused himself from the case.”
Addressing the alleged attempts to recall Natasha from the Senate, Abbo firmly dismissed the possibility, calling it an act of fraud.
He claimed that those pushing for her removal had resorted to forging signatures to create the impression of public support for the recall.
“Senator Natasha should continue doing what she is doing. I heard that they want to recall her—nobody can recall Natasha. Take note and write it down, we are not a banana republic. They went to forge signatures,” he stated.
Abbo’s statements have reignited discussions about fairness and due process within the Nigerian Senate.
Many believe that lawmakers should treat each other with fairness, as their actions directly impact the country’s governance and democratic values.
