By Chika Eze
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned what it said were moves by the Clerk of the National Assembly to prevent Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her duties after serving a six-month suspension by the Senate.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP described the reported action as a calculated attempt by the Senate leadership to deny the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District their constitutional right to representation.
The move, he said, allegedly seeks to deploy the National Assembly establishment against an elected senator, in violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Standing Rules of the Senate.
According to Ologunagba, such an action is “highly provocative” and poses a “clear and present danger” to democracy and national stability.
The PDP official further alleged that the development reflects a wider pattern by the APC-led Senate to stifle the opposition and suppress women’s voices in governance.
“The unwarranted persecution of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, including the six-month suspension already served, is more than enough. Any further attempt to bar her is unjust, undemocratic, and must be resisted,” he stated.
The PDP cautioned the Clerk of the National Assembly to withdraw the reported letter, remain neutral, and avoid being used as a political tool to undermine democracy.
The party also urged the international community, democratic institutions, and rights advocacy groups to condemn what it described as a renewed attack on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
While calling on the Senate leadership to guarantee her smooth resumption, the PDP encouraged Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to ignore the clerk’s reported letter and prepare to take her rightful place in the upper chamber as an elected representative of the Nigerian people.
