Maureen Okpe
Over 300 women’s rights organizations under the banner of Womanifesto have condemned the continued exclusion of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan calling for the immediate and unconditional reinstatement to the senate in full compliance with the Federal High Court’s ruling.
The coalition in a statement on Thursday, described the prolonged suspension as not only unconstitutional but also a grave threat to Nigeria’s democracy and a targeted attack on women’s political participation.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6, 2025, an action a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, later ruled as “excessive” and in violation of constitutional provisions.
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Despite the court’s clear judgment and the lapse of the six-month suspension period by September 9, 2025, the Senate has allegedly refused to allow the senator to resume her duties.
Convener of Womanifesto Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, emphasized that the suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan represents a broader crisis one of constitutional abuse, democratic erosion, and gender injustice.
Akiyode-Afolabi said, “the Senate’s refusal to comply with a binding court order is nothing short of judicial defiance. When lawmakers become lawbreakers, democracy itself is imperiled,”
“This is not just a personal injustice to Senator Natasha; it is a systemic subversion of the Constitution, the judiciary, and the Nigerian people.”
According to Womanifesto, the refusal to reinstate the senator effectively robs her constituency of representation, setting a dangerous precedent for silencing elected officials, especially women.
“This is a deliberate attack on women’s political participation,” the statement read. “To deny Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan her mandate after a free and fair election and a court ruling in her favor sends a chilling message to every woman who dares to contest or hold office: you can be silenced at will.”
Womanifesto further called out Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of abusing legislative power and undermining democratic institutions.
“We reject the Senate’s reliance on spurious claims and delay tactics. The law is clear. The court has ruled. There is no ambiguity here. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan must return to the Senate immediately,” Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi declared.
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The movement urged Nigerians, civil society, the media, and the international community to see the matter for what it is: a national test of democratic integrity, not a mere internal legislative affair.
“This is a defining moment. Either the Senate rescinds this illegality and restores Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, or it confirms itself as a body willing to destroy democracy for the sake of impunity.
“Democracy dies when elected voices are silenced. Democracy dies when women are deliberately excluded. Democracy dies when courts are mocked, and the Constitution treated as optional,” the statement stressed.
Among the over 300 signatories backing Womanifesto’s position are ActionAid Nigeria, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Stand to End Rape (STER), WIMBIZ, FIDA, and Bring Back Our Girls. Also listed are grassroots and professional organizations from across the country including the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON) and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).