Former Senate Chief Whip Rowland Owie has dropped a bombshell, warning that the 10th Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) on March 06, 2025, risks torching its own credibility. “We’re not in a Banana Republic,” Owie thundered, condemning the six-month ban as legislative impunity that could haunt the Upper Chamber. “A senator’s mandate can’t be arbitrarily denied—suspended or not,” he said, urging caution to preserve the Senate’s integrity.
The saga erupted on February 20, 2025, when Akpoti-Uduaghan protested a seat reassignment by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sparking a firestorm that escalated with her live-TV sexual harassment allegations against him. Her initial petition was stonewalled, but after resubmitting, it landed with the Ethics Committee. Citing a Federal High Court order barring the probe, she refused to appear—yet the Senate plowed ahead, suspending her despite the legal restraint. Owie called it a travesty: “Thorough investigations, not carpet-sweeping, are the standard. Akpabio should’ve stepped down for impartiality.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan, defiant, labeled the suspension “unjust” and a betrayal of “natural justice, fairness, and equity.” She vowed, “This illegal act doesn’t strip my legitimacy—I’ll serve Kogi Central till 2027 and beyond.” Her resolve echoes across X, where supporters hail her as a victim of silencing, while detractors—like Afe Annang, Akpabio’s kin—demand her recall, decrying her “unfit” conduct.
Owie’s critique lands amid a cacophony of voices. Atiku Abubakar slammed the move as an “attack on affirmative action,” Peter Obi called it “disappointing,” and PDP’s Timothy Osadolor branded it “shameful,” accusing opposition senators of cowering to Akpabio. Legal experts, pointing to the defied court order, deem it unconstitutional. Yet Afe Annang defends Akpabio, framing the harassment claim—now in litigation—as a political hit job. “No senator should defame our son,” they insist.
X is a war zone. “The 10th Senate’s sinking itself,” one user posted, echoing Owie’s warning. Another quipped, “Natasha’s a rebel with a cause—Akpabio’s crew just proved her point.” The ex-chief whip’s call for due process cuts through the noise: “If issues arise, investigate fully—don’t bury them.” He sees a Senate teetering on self-destruction, with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s fate as a litmus test.
This isn’t just about a seat or a suspension—it’s a showdown over power, gender, and justice. Owie’s plea for integrity clashes with Afe Annang’s loyalty to Akpabio, while Akpoti-Uduaghan’s defiance fuels a broader debate: Is the Senate upholding democracy or undermining it? Legal battles loom, and the court’s role hangs in the balance. On X, opinions fly—some see a martyr, others a troublemaker—but Owie’s warning rings clear: a Senate that flouts process risks losing its soul. As Akpoti-Uduaghan fights on, Nigeria watches a chamber at war with itself, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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