The Campaign for Democracy, CD, has said that the actions taken by the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, since the issue that led to her suspension began a few weeks ago, have put Nigeria’s image on trial before the global community.
The foremost civil society organisation, in a statement by its president, Ifeanyi Odili, expressed concern that, rather than addressing the core issues surrounding her suspension within the framework of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan chose to “engage in a campaign of calumny against the Senate as an institution.”
In a statement on Thursday, signed by its president, CD said Akpoti-Uduaghan’s activities within and outside the country since the beginning of the controversy had cast an unfortunate dent on the image of Nigeria, for which she must apologise.
According to the organisation, that was nothing but gross misconduct against Nigeria.
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In the statement, the CD however advised respected Nigerian leaders to always identify when not to play opposition politics with delicate national issues, in the best interest of the nation.
“More worrisome is the fact that she has distorted the facts preceding her suspension and curiously held on to her sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President as the reason for the initial actions taken against her.
“Taking such misrepresentation to the world stage and representing Nigeria illegally at the Inter Parliamentary Union to air such views can be described as nothing but gross misconduct against the country, for which she needs to apologise. This should not be muddled up with politics,” the statement reads.
The CD said it could not understand why the embattled Senator had abandoned her faith in the Nigerian judiciary.
“Having already taken her grievances to the courts, one would have expected her to allow due process to take its course,” the CSO noted.
“Resorting to media trials, seeking sympathy from foreign audiences while undermining the credibility of the very institutions that can address her concerns have watered down whatever sympathy she could have gained from objective Civil Society Organizations and Nigerians at large,” it noted.
“Her current confrontational approach serves no productive purpose other than to bring ridicule to Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“As a public official, she has a responsibility to uphold the dignity of her office and promote national cohesion, rather than dragging the country’s name through unnecessary international controversies,” the frontline advocate for greater democracy said.
The activists commended the electorate of Kogi Central for exercising their constitutional rights to initiate a recall process, saying “this is a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.”
“If lawmakers understand that their seats are not guaranteed but are subject to the will of the people, they will prioritise service over personal interests. Accountability is non-negotiable,” the organisation said.
