By THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the continued barring of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from her legislative duties, describing the Senate’s actions as a dangerous descent into “legislative dictatorship and democratic anarchy.”
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, accused the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate of engaging in “a brazen, premeditated assault on democracy” by refusing to reinstate Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan despite court rulings voiding her suspension.
“That you suspended a fellow Senator from her constitutional roles depriving her people proper representation is not sinful enough, but you went ahead to ignore the rulings of the Court that voided her suspension and at the expiration of your illegal suspension, you are still denying her a return is the height of impunity and morally reprehensible,” the NLC declared.
The labour movement faulted the Senate’s argument that the matter was sub judice, calling it “a frivolous legal technicality” and “the height of legislative bad faith.” According to the NLC, the move represents a “sinister agenda to silence dissent, crush opposition, and manipulate the judiciary as a tool of political persecution.”
Comrade Ajaero warned that the decision undermines the democratic rights of the people of Kogi Central, who elected Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, leaving them disenfranchised and without a voice in national lawmaking, oversight, and appropriation.
“This action is a direct attack on the Nigerian people. It is a declaration by a privileged political elite that they are not accountable to the citizens they purport to serve. By willfully disenfranchising an entire senatorial district, the Senate is effectively stealing the political representation for which the people pay taxes,” the statement read.
The NLC further alleged that the development was part of a calculated attempt to “emasculate opposition and subjugate sovereign will” ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We warn the leadership of the National Assembly and their enablers: the Nigerian people, united across ethnic and religious lines, will not stand idly by while you cannibalise our democracy. The labour movement, as the historic defender of justice and the common good, will mobilise its immense membership and moral authority to resist this slide into autocracy,” Ajaero stated.
The NLC insisted that “an attack on one senator today is an attack on the sovereignty of every Nigerian voter tomorrow,” calling on the Senate to reverse its position immediately and restore Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to her seat.
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