Natasha Returns to Senate After 6-Month Suspension

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, made a return to the Senate on Tuesday after six months of suspension that stirred national debate. She arrived at the chamber at 11:42 a.m., greeted colleagues with smiles, and settled into her seat as plenary resumed after a 10-week recess.

Natasha was accompanied by a small group of loyalists and civil rights activists, including Aisha Yesufu, who was seen observing proceedings from the public gallery. However, several of the senator’s supporters were reportedly denied entry into the gallery.

The session was presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, marking the lawmaker’s official reinstatement following a turbulent political episode.

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Her return comes months after the Senate, in March 2025, suspended her for alleged misconduct during a protest against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on February 20.

Following the suspension, her office was sealed on March 6, but was reopened recently by the Sergeant-at-Arms Department, signaling her reinstatement.

Two weeks prior to her return, Natasha had regained access to her office, where she accused Akpabio of authoritarian leadership, calling him a “dictator.”