Hon. Fatoumatta Njai, a Member of the National Assembly of The Gambia, has written to Senate President Godswill Akpabio demanding the immediate reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing her suspension as “unlawful” and “a blatant affront to the rule of law.”
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In a strongly worded letter dated September 9, 2025, and copied to all Nigerian senators, international institutions, and the diplomatic corps, Njai condemned the Senate’s refusal to comply with a Federal High Court judgment that voided Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
Justice B.F.M. Nyako of the Abuja Federal High Court had ruled on July 4, 2025, that the six-month suspension—equivalent to 180 sitting days—was unconstitutional, as it deprived a legislator of her constitutional duty under Section 63 of the 1999 Constitution.
Despite the ruling, the Kogi Central senator was denied access to the chamber on July 22, and the Senate has since extended her suspension. Njai argued that the move not only flouts a binding court judgment but also contravenes the Senate’s own Standing Orders.
“The Senate should know that leadership is not about silencing voices, especially those who dare to speak truth with courage and integrity. The fact that Senator Natasha’s only crime was to speak truth to power is a strong signal of the Senate’s move in silencing dissenting voices,” Njai wrote.
Njai, who chairs the Gender and Children’s Welfare Committee in The Gambia’s Parliament and previously served in the ECOWAS Parliament, warned that the Senate’s action undermines both democratic governance and the representation of women and youths in politics across Africa.
Calling Nigeria “the parent nation within ECOWAS,” she urged lawmakers to respect judicial authority and democratic values.
“Today it is the distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan; tomorrow it could be me. I believe that after the six months of unlawful suspension, she must be reinstated with immediate effect. The Senate, as the legislative arm of the Federal Republic, should have been seen to respect the court’s judgment. Instead, it has blatantly refused to obey,” she stated.
Njai added that the refusal to recall Akpoti-Uduaghan amounted to “a total affront to the rule of law,” stressing that legal principles require compliance with court orders before any challenge can be made.
“Senator Natasha represents not only her constituents but also the hopes of millions of women and youth in Nigeria and the world at large. Her exclusion is a denial of the democratic principles that bind Nigeria as a nation,” she said.
Concluding her letter, Njai urged Senate leadership to restore Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat without further delay.
“The six months is over. As a woman in leadership, a woman that respects the rule of law and yearns for more women in elective positions, I firmly call on the immediate recall of the Senator. Justice delayed is justice denied,” she declared.
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