Aisha Yesufu, a socio-political activist, has vowed to stand by the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has insisted on resuming her duties on Tuesday at the Senate despite opposition from the upper chamber.
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On Monday, Yesufu stated that she and others would accompany Akpoti-Uduaghan to the National Assembly, asserting that the embattled senator had every right to resume office following a court judgement.
“I think Senator Natasha has every right to resume office, and by tomorrow — she is not going to resume alone. There are people who are going to go with her, and I’ll be one of them.
“We’ll be with her and stand with her. And if the Senate decides they are going to kill us, let them kill us,” Yesufu said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
The activist further condemned what she described as systemic discrimination against women in Nigerian politics.
“We are not even one-third. Out of 109 senators, we have only four women. Yet you go after them — you’re going after this particular lady who has done nothing other than discharge her duty the way it should be. Enough of us being treated in this country as if we are second-class citizens,” she stated.
Describing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as unconstitutional, Yesufu berated the Senate for disregarding a valid court ruling.
“The suspension by the Senate is unconstitutional. It’s unlawful. It should never have happened in the first place — especially coming from an institution supposed to uphold the constitution.
“The court didn’t stop Natasha from going in, so she has a right to resume office. The court has ruled that the whole suspension is unconstitutional. The Senate didn’t make Natasha a senator — her people did — and there’s no way you can deprive them of their representation,” the activist stated.
Yesufu accused the Senate of disobeying court orders while also criticising the judiciary for yielding to political influence and no longer serving as the last hope of the common man.
“There was a ruling telling them to halt the suspension process, but they didn’t obey. The Senate is sending a message to Nigerians that it can act with impunity and disregard court rulings.
“The judiciary, which should be the last hope of the common man, is now a pawn in the hands of corrupt politicians. Even when a judgement is delivered, the judiciary now looks at the body language of those dictating what should be written,” the activist said.
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