The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the suspension of Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi Central) by the Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was handed a six-month suspension by the Red Chamber, following allegations of improper behaviour exhibited against the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.
The party, in a statement on Friday – yesterday, March 7 – in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the action of the Senate leadership against Akpoti-Uduaghan smacked of a desperation to cover up.
It urged the Senate to redeem its image and integrity by immediately reinstating Akpoti-Uduaghan and ensuring an open investigation into the matter.
“The hasty suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, without an open investigation into the weighty allegation of sexual harassment against the Akpabio, negated the principle of fair hearing, especially in parliamentary convention.
“The action also portrays the Senate as an institution that endorses, condones and offers protection to reprobacy,” PDP said in the statement by Ologunagba.
The party added that the “excessively-harsh” six-month suspension placed on Akpoti-Uduaghan translated to denying the people of Kogi Central Senatorial Zone their constitutional right of being represented in the legislative body.
“It is scandalous, and amounts to gross abuse of office and violation of the fundamentals of justice and fair hearing, for Akpabio to sit as a judge in a matter in which he was the accused,” the statement added.
PDP further said the situation validated public apprehension of a desperation by Akpabio to suppress open legislative probe into the allegation of sexual harassment leveled against him.
It pointed out that the allegation by Akpoti-Uduaghan would not be the first time Akpabio had been accused of sexual harassment.
“If Sen. Akpabio has nothing to hide, what Nigerians expected of him was to clear his name.
“(He should) clear his name by stepping aside, in line with established parliamentary practice, allow and submit to an open and unbiased investigation into the allegation of sexual harassment by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“It is indeed a national embarrassment that the person of the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly is being mentioned in a case of sexual harassment, which has now tarred the image and integrity of the highest lawmaking body in Nigeria.
“Ordinarily, under this situation, the Senate President needs no prodding to step aside for an independent investigation to clear his name,” the PDP insisted.
