Calls It a Matter of Legislative Rules, Not Gender Bias
The Nasarawa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aliyu Bello, has defended the Senate’s decision to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, stating that the move was based on legislative procedures and not gender discrimination.
The Senate, on Thursday, upheld the recommendation of its Ethics Committee to suspend the Kogi Central lawmaker following her petition alleging sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The committee dismissed her claims on procedural grounds, stating that her actions had brought ridicule to the upper chamber.
In an opinion piece titled “Akpabio, Natasha, and Senate: A Question of Rules, Not Gender,” Bello argued that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was a matter of enforcing legislative order rather than an act of bias. He cited past instances where male senators faced similar disciplinary actions, including the 2018 suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central) for 90 days and the 2023 suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) over allegations of budget padding.
“The Nigerian Senate has a well-documented history of suspending members; male and female who breach its rules,” Bello stated. “Why, then, should Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case be framed differently?”
He further argued that framing her suspension as gender marginalization risked trivializing genuine struggles for equity. “The Senate’s disciplinary mechanisms are gender-blind, prioritizing institutional integrity over individual identity,” Bello emphasized.
Bello noted that in a Senate of 109 lawmakers, no member; including those from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s party opposed the suspension. He maintained that enforcing parliamentary rules uniformly is essential to maintaining order and urged advocates of gender equality to focus on systemic barriers rather than isolated cases.
The suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan has sparked widespread debate, with critics accusing the Senate of targeting a female lawmaker. However, Bello’s stance aligns with the Senate’s argument that disciplinary actions must be applied without bias.
The controversy surrounding the case is expected to continue, as supporters of Akpoti-Uduaghan demand a review of the decision, while others insist that legislative discipline must be upheld to preserve the integrity of the institution.