Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the unsealing of the office of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing the development as proof that “the voice of reason has prevailed.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was suspended by the Senate in March for six months.
On Tuesday, she regained access to her office at the National Assembly, with supporters cheering as she walked into Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing, which was opened by the Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji.
Although the Senate is currently on recess and will not resume plenary until October 7, 2025, the development drew wide reactions, particularly from opposition leaders.
Atiku, in a statement posted on his X handle, said Natasha’s reinstatement is a triumph for democratic struggle.
“It is reassuring that the voice of reason has prevailed at last with the unsealing of the office of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Though the precious time denied the people of Kogi Central in the Senate can never be reclaimed, this struggle has not been in vain. It has proven, once again, that when we stand together, we can triumph over tyranny,” Atiku wrote.
The former Vice President linked her suspension to what he called a broader pattern of political intimidation under the Bola Tinubu administration.
He argued that the suspension of Natasha, the crisis in Rivers State involving Governor Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers, and the “weaponisation of state institutions to harass and intimidate opposition voices” are deliberate moves.
“These are not isolated acts. They are deliberate markers of the Tinubu administration’s strategy as 2027 approaches: to subvert our hard-earned democracy and compromise the will of the people at any cost,” Atiku warned.
He further pledged that the opposition would resist such tendencies. “On our part, we shall do everything legitimate and within the bounds of the law to protect our democracy, defend the sovereignty of the people’s mandate, and rescue our nation from the grip of authoritarianism.”
Earlier, Akpoti-Uduaghan had appeared at the FCT High Court in a case of alleged defamation filed against her by the Federal Government before proceeding to the National Assembly, where her return to her office was marked by songs and jubilation from her supporters.
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