‘No Apology, No Regrets’: Senator Natasha Reclaims Office After Suspension

* Blasts Akpabio as a “dictator

* Vows to continue fighting injustice

ABUJA – In a dramatic turn of events, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan returned to the National Assembly on Tuesday, reclaiming her office after a six-month suspension and launching a scathing attack on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, whom she labelled a “dictator.”

The resumption followed the formal unsealing of her office, Suite 2.05 in the Senate Wing, by the Deputy Director of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji. In a video documenting the moment, Adedeji declared, “I hereby unseal the office. The office is hereby unsealed.”

This action marks a significant victory for the Senator representing Kogi Central, ending a protracted standoff that began on March 6, 2025, when she was suspended for alleged misconduct. The suspension was triggered by her protest against the reassignment of her seat by Akpabio on February 20.

Despite the suspension formally lapsing in September, Senator Natasha was blocked from returning, leading to a legal battle. A pivotal ruling from the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 4 declared her suspension “excessive and unconstitutional.” However, even after notifying the Senate of her intention to resume, her initial requests were rebuffed by the Assembly leadership until Tuesday’s development.

Speaking from her newly accessible office, a defiant Senator Natasha expressed no remorse. “In retrospect, it is actually amazing how much we have had to pay in the past six months, from the unjust suspension to the recall,” she stated. “But we survived the recall, blackmail, and that crazy lady on Facebook.”

She reserved her strongest criticism for Senate President Akpabio. “Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me as if I were a servant or domestic staff in his house,” she said. “It is so unfortunate that we will have a National Assembly being run by such a dictator. It is totally unacceptable.”

Emphasizing her stance, the senator insisted she has “no apology to tender,” and framed her ordeal as a necessary test of the institution’s integrity. “We can’t cower down in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us,” she asserted.

The lawmaker also took time to thank her supporters, saying, “I give God Almighty the glory and my deepest appreciation to the people of Kogi Central and Nigerians at large.” In a personal note, she added, “To my husband, I love you dearly. I pray all men support their wives in the same manner you have supported me.”

While her office is now open, questions remain about the full restoration of her senatorial privileges. It is still unclear if Senator Natasha will be permitted to sit with her colleagues when the Senate reconvenes for plenary on October 7, setting the stage for a potentially tense return to the Red Chamber.