The suspension of the senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Thursday by the members of the Nigerian Senate following her sexual harrassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, may seem rather harsh on the senator as many believe she is a victim of circumstances here.
In arriving at the decision to slam a six months suspension on Natasha, the lawmakers sidestepped the petition she filed and rather said she was suspended from the Red Chamber over alleged misconduct.
The decision of the senators was reached after considering and adopting a report presented by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, presented by its Chairman, Senator Neda Imasuen, during plenary.
According to the report, the Committee had recommended Natasha’s suspension, saying she had brought ridicule to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
Akpoti-Uduaguan’s suspension has drawn a lot of talking points in the Nigerian political space due to the peculiarity of her case but since the advent of the present democratic dispensation in the country in 1999, seven senators have faced suspension from the Red Chamber for various reasons ranging from violation of laid down rules, insubordination and misconduct.
Ripples Nigeria brings you a list of the seven senators who faced suspension from the senate in the past and the reasons they were suspended.
1. Femi Okurounmu (1999)
Senator Femi Okurounmu who represented Ogun Central senatorial district under the Alliance of Democracy (AD) from 1999 to 2003, will go down in history as the first Nigerian senator to face the ignominy of suspension when he was suspended by his colleagues in 1999.
At the time of his suspension, he was a member of the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Affairs.
His suspension from the Senate came after he was alleged to have led a plot by senators to impeach the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo.
2. Joseph Waku (2000)
Joseph Waku was a senator who represented Benue North-West constituency in the National Assembly and was a member of several committees including Committees on Senate Services, Works and Housing, Health, Establishment, Water Resources and Privatization.
In the year 2000, he got suspended after he made a controversial statement about Olusegun Obasanjo, calling him a dictator who wanted to have everything his way.
While addressing his colleagues during plenary, Waku had said that it was better for Nigeria to return to the era of military coup than to have Obasanjo continue his leadership as a dictator.
The comments drew the wrath of fellow lawmakers who promptly sent up a probe panel that found him guilty and he was suspended.
3. Arthur Nzeribe (2002)
The late Arthur Nzeribe who represented Orlu senatorial district of Imo State in the Senate, also faced the ignominy of being suspended from the Red Chamber when he was suspended indefinitely in November 2002 during the Senate presidency of Anyim Pius Anyim.
Nzeribe who had a controversial political career, was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, and had allegedly masterminded a N22 million fraud using the National Health Insurance scheme which earned him an indefinite suspension.
4. Ali Ndume (2017)
Senator Ali Ndume who represents Borno South Senatorial district in the 10th Assembly, was suspended for six months in 2017 for allegedly embarrassing the then Senate President, Bukola Saraki and former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye.
Ndume who was the Senate Majority Leader from 2015 to 2017, ran into trouble waters when he raised concerns after he was impeached as the majority leader following an investigation into allegations of importation of a bullet proof Range Rover with fake documents by the then Saraki. He also accused Melaye of forging his academic certificate.
Ndume’s case was referred to the Committee for Ethics and Privileges chaired by Samuel Anyanwu which frowned at the claims, saying they lacked proper investigation. He was initially suspended for one year before the term was later reduced to six months.
5. Ovie Omo-Agege (2018)
In 2018, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege
who represented Delta Central Senatorial district became the fifth senator to be suspended from the Red Chamber.
His suspension came when he granted an interview opposing the election reordering bill. In the interview, Omo-Agege called for an amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act which was meant to change the sequence of election in Nigeria which the senate claimed was targeted at the then President, Muhammadu Buhari.
His colleagues had reasoned that his stance and accusations had brought disrepute to the Senate.
His case was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges which found him guilty and recommended a suspension of 181 legislative days but it took the intervention of the then Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the suspension was reduced to 90 legislative days.
6. Ahmed Ningi (2024)
Abdul Ningi, a Senator from Bauchi State was suspended for three months in 2024 after he alleged in an interview with the BBC that the 2024 budget was padded.
In the interview, Ningi had accused his colleagues of padding the budget to the tune of about N3.7 trillion, representing more than 10% of the N28.78 trillion budget.
Irked by the allegations, the Senate suspended Ningi on March 12, 2024, for three months after a motion of urgent national importance moved by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, to address the allegation by Senator Ningi.
Following a lengthy debate, the Senate resolved to suspend Senator Ningi over what it called violations of legislative rules, allegations of misconduct, and unethical behaviour for the interview he granted on BBC on the 2024 Appropriation Act.
7. Isa Mohammed (2024)
In October 2024, Senator Isa Mohammed, representing Niger South Constituency who was the Vice Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, was suspended for two weeks for slapping a female senator, Iyabo Anisulowo, during an altercation over disbursal of committee’s funds to the tune of N1.2m.
Though he later apologized to Anisulowo, her family, all women and the National Assembly, blaming his actions on the devil, he still had to face the ignominy of suspension.
Source: Ripples
