Akpabio’s Aide Refutes Natasha’s ‘Dictator, Slave’ Allegation
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims that she was treated like a “domestic servant” and referred to him as a “dictator” during her suspension.
Speaking on Channels TV on Wednesday, Akpabio’s media aide, Kenny Okolugbo, described the allegations as false, stressing that the Senate not only observed due process in suspending the lawmaker but also passed one of her bills into law during that period.
Okolugbo recalled that the suspension, which began on March 6, 2025, followed a report by the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee that found her conduct “despicable.”
He added that when she attempted to resume in July, the court ruling she relied on merely described the six-month suspension as “excessive” but did not order her reinstatement.
“Her claim is inconsistent with the facts,” he said. “While on suspension, one of her bills establishing a Federal Medical Centre in Kogi State was passed into law. How many senators can point to such an achievement? So how would she say she was treated as a slave?”
The aide also highlighted her rapid rise in the chamber since her inauguration on November 2, 2023. Within weeks, Natasha was appointed chairman of the Committee on Local Content, and by early 2024, she had secured seats on the ECOWAS Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, in addition to sponsoring three bills.
Okolugbo insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was strictly guided by Senate rules, stressing that her accusations of personal victimisation by Akpabio were baseless.
