Rivers Democracy Restored, But Natasha Still Serving Undemocratic Suspension: A Plea To President Tinubu -By Isaac Asabor

Nigeria’s democracy has long been fragile, scarred by power struggles, intimidation, and manipulation. Yet even battered, it survives. Recently, in Rivers State, we witnessed a much-needed restoration: political tensions that threatened governance were resolved, institutions re-engaged, and democracy reaffirmed.

But while Rivers now breathes easier, another scandal is unfolding elsewhere, one that undermines democracy in clear daylight. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, duly elected to represent Kogi Central, has been suspended by the Senate under circumstances that are deeply troubling, and plainly undemocratic.

Natasha’s case has recently become more worrisome as the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly few days ago distanced itself from reports suggesting it has the power to determine whether suspended Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, can resume legislative duties.

In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the Director of Information, Mullah Bi-Allah, who spoke on behalf of the Clerk’s office, clarified that it merely functions as an administrative arm of the legislature and cannot review or overturn resolutions of the Senate.

“The Clerk does not possess the authority to review, reverse or interpret Senate decisions,” the statement read.

It is also more worrisome as the suspension lapsed on September 6, 2025, yet the clerk’s office had told the senator she could not return because the matter is pending at the Court of Appeal.

Her suspension is not about order; it is about silencing. It is not about discipline; it is about punishment for daring to speak her truth. Natasha herself put it bluntly: “This injustice will not be sustained … My unjust suspension from the Nigerian Senate invalidates the principles of natural justice, fairness and equity.”

Drawing lesson from the restoration of democracy in Rivers, it is expedient to opine that democracy can be restored, particularly through Mr. President’s intervention.

For months, Rivers State stood on the brink of collapse as political gladiators waged war, holding governance hostage. The people suffered, institutions buckled, and democracy nearly died in the crossfire. But through compromise and intervention, sanity returned. Rivers taught us that Nigeria can still pull back from the brink when leaders put the nation above ego.

That lesson must not be confined to one state. Democracy cannot be selective, it must be defended everywhere, for everyone. If Rivers deserves restoration, then so does Natasha. The reason for the foregoing optimistic view cannot be farfetched as Natasha’s mandate has for 6 months now being under siege.

Without a doubt, Natasha’s journey is remarkable. She is not a product of political godfathers or dynasties. She carved her place in a hostile system, endured slander and intimidation, and still won the trust of her people. That mandate should have been a victory for democracy. Instead, it has become the target of persecution.

On March 6, 2025, the Senate suspended her for six months following a report from its Ethics Committee. The official charges: misconduct, insubordination, speaking without recognition, and resisting a change in her seating arrangement. But Natasha insists the matter goes deeper:

“I have been dehumanized, I have been maligned… the seat change was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Before her suspension, Natasha had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, alleging that he tied legislative favors to her “taking care” of him. Her petition was dismissed on technical grounds, not on merit. She said: “This was orchestrated to silence my voice. That action is an assault on democracy … I am not apologizing for speaking my truth.”

Her suspension has stripped her of her office, allowances, and security, while her constituents remain voiceless in the Senate until at least September 2025. As she declared defiantly: “The illegal suspension does not withdraw my legitimacy as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I will continue to use my duly elected position to serve my constituents and country to the best of my ability till 2027 … and beyond.”

Without a doubt, the collective outcry of not a few democratic-minded Nigerians since she was unduly and undeservedly suspended is not doubt beyond her.  Civil society and women’s rights groups have been unequivocal. The coalition Womanifesto staged protests under the banner “We are all Natasha,” declaring her suspension a shameful attempt to silence women in politics.

Ireti Bakare-Yusuf, founder of the Purple Women Foundation, minced no words: “Her suspension and the process that led to it was a shambolic show of shame.”

Another activist, Mabel Adinya Ade, called it: “A stunning display of patriarchal impunity. The message is chilling: speak out, and you will be punished.”

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) went further, stressing the illegality: “Senator Natasha’s suspension violated constitution … an unconstitutional move that undermines democracy and legislative independence. A legislature where members fear retribution for questioning leadership cannot function as a true democracy.”

The condemnation is clear: Natasha’s suspension is not discipline; it is democracy’s disgrace.

Mr. President, You Understand This Pain. You understand the pain more than anyone should understand what it means to be persecuted by power. You were once hunted, maligned, forced into exile. You know the sting of being silenced. Natasha is now walking that same road.

This is not about politics. It is about fairness. It is about the right of constituents in Kogi Central to be represented. It is about whether Nigeria will allow the will of the people to be overturned by parliamentary strong-arming.

By intervening in Natasha’s case, you would not be taking sides in a political quarrel, you would be standing with democracy itself.

Mr. President, you know that this suspension cannot elapse beyond the set date for her to resume her duty in the hallowed chamber as the stakes are too high to ignore. This is as constituents are unarguably disenfranchised. Natasha’s six-month suspension denies her people representation, mocking the very idea of electoral mandate.

Not only that, women are silenced. With only four women in a 109-member Senate, this treatment sends a chilling message to others who dare to lead. Also in a similar vein, democracy is eroded. When parliament becomes a tool for punishment, it ceases to be a democratic institution and becomes a dictatorship in robes.

Mr. President, history is watching. The Rivers restoration proved that democracy can heal when leaders rise above ego. Now, the nation looks to you to ensure that Natasha’s suspension does not become a permanent stain on our democracy.

Restore her voice. Reinstate her mandate. Reassure women, youth, and reformists that Nigeria protects, not punishes, those who speak truth.

In fact, Natasha’s words echo the cry of millions: “This injustice will not be sustained.” Do not let it be sustained, Mr. President. Rivers democracy has been restored. Let Natasha’s democracy be restored too.

Mr. President, Nigerians know you as a democrat to the core, a man who risked all in the trenches when democracy was under siege and the military sought to suffocate the will of the people. History records you among those who fought to wrestle democracy back from the grip of dictatorship, and that courage remains etched in our national consciousness. It is against this backdrop that we appeal for your intervention in the case of Senator Natasha, whose suspension stands as a glaring contradiction to the very democratic values you bled and labored for. True leadership demands consistency, and it is in moments like this that your legacy as a defender of democracy is either deepened or diminished.

Even in your recent speech on the restoration of democracy in Rivers State, every line resonated with a conviction that democracy is the only legitimate path for Nigeria’s future. Your words carried the authority of a man whose entire political journey has been tied to the sanctity of free choice, justice, and fairness. That same belief must now find expression in Natasha’s case. To ignore it would not only cast a shadow over her plight but also send a dangerous signal that democracy can be selectively applied. Sir, if the Rivers people’s democratic rights deserved your bold defense, then Natasha’s equally deserves your swift and decisive intervention.