1 month ago
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A erstwhile curate of Education and nationalist argumentation advocate, Oby Ezekwesili, has criticised the Nigerian Senate implicit what she described arsenic the unconstitutional hold of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
In a connection titled: “A Memo to the Nigerian Senate, Judiciary and Fellow Citizens,” issued to journalists yesterday successful Abuja, Ezekwesili condemned the Senate’s determination to widen the lawmaker’s suspension indefinitely, contempt a Federal High Court ruling declaring the archetypal six-month punishment “excessive and unconstitutional.”
She recalled that Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was suspended connected March 6, 2025, aft she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of intersexual harassment.
Rather than analyse the allegation transparently, Ezekwesili argued, the Senate turned its machinery against the lawmaker — a determination she described arsenic “an unprecedented battle connected law principles, judicial authority, and the precise foundations of our antiauthoritarian institutions.”
Her disapproval follows a September 4, 2025, missive from the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, informing Akpoti-Uduaghan that her suspension would stay successful spot indefinitely, pending the result of her entreaty successful court.
For Ezekwesili, that missive amounts to a law crisis.
“The Senate justifies this illegality with the preposterous assertion that the substance remains sub judice. That reasoning is fundamentally flawed. They cannot usage pending litigation arsenic justification to prolong an unconstitutional suspension,” she said.
Ezekwesili pointed retired that the Federal High Court, presided implicit by Justice Binta Nyako, had earlier ruled that the six-month suspension was excessive and violated the Constitution.
She stressed that excluding a lawmaker from the Senate for six months — erstwhile the National Assembly sits for lone 181 days successful a twelvemonth — efficaciously disenfranchises her constituents.
She further argued that the Senate’s enactment violates its ain interior rules, which let for suspensions of nary much than 14 days nether Order 67(4).
She reminded Nigerians that tribunal rulings successful 2017 and 2018 had already declared semipermanent suspensions of lawmakers unconstitutional, yet the Senate continues to enactment with impunity.
“The numbers archer a stark story,” she noted. “181 sitting days successful a year. Six months and counting of suspension. That means Kogi Central constituents person been denied implicit 100% of their close to representation.”
Ezekwesili warned that judicial inconsistencies person emboldened the legislature to disregard the law.
She called connected the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to enactment swiftly and bring the lawsuit to a close, stressing that the credibility of the judiciary is connected the line.
“The fastest decision of the Akpoti-Uduaghan lawsuit is imperative for the courts to beryllium to Nigerians that they are not complicit successful undermining the regularisation of law,” she added.
“Let maine guarantee you that Rivers State Government volition basal arsenic a dependable spouse to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We spot this assemblage arsenic portion of our semipermanent concern successful knowledge, innovation, and the aboriginal of our youths,” helium emphasized.
In his remarks, the pro-chancellor and president of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s committedness to world excellence, innovation, and assemblage development.
Baridam disclosed that the national authorities has directed the instauration to commence its world league successful September 2025 formally, and preparations are successful afloat plaything to guarantee a creaseless take-off with capable infrastructure and resources successful place.
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