Atiku Hails Natasha’s Return to Senate, Says ‘Voice of Reason Has Prevailed’
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as a victory for democracy, insisting it underscores the power of collective resistance against political intimidation.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, regained access to her office at the National Assembly on Tuesday after a six-month suspension by the Senate in March. The office, located at Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing, was formally reopened by Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, as jubilant supporters cheered her return.
Although the Senate is currently on recess until October 7, the development sparked widespread reactions, particularly from opposition figures.
“It is reassuring that the voice of reason has prevailed at last with the unsealing of the office of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Though the precious time denied the people of Kogi Central in the Senate can never be reclaimed, this struggle has not been in vain,” Atiku wrote. “It has proven, once again, that when we stand together, we can triumph over tyranny.”
The former Vice President linked Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension to what he called a broader pattern of political suppression under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He cited her suspension, the crisis in Rivers State involving Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the House of Assembly, and the alleged “weaponisation of state institutions to harass and intimidate opposition voices” as part of a calculated strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
“These are not isolated acts. They are deliberate markers of the Tinubu administration’s strategy: to subvert our hard-earned democracy and compromise the will of the people at any cost,” Atiku alleged, vowing that the opposition would continue to resist such tendencies.
Earlier on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan had appeared at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in a defamation case filed against her by the Federal Government before proceeding to the National Assembly, where her supporters marked her return with songs and celebration.
