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A former federal lawmaker, West Idahosa, has criticised the Senate’s decision to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Idahosa stated that the Senate had not only wronged Senator Natasha but had also wronged Nigeria.
He made this assertion during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday evening.
“To start with, I think they have not just wronged Uduaghan, they’ve wronged Nigeria,” he said.
The senior lawyer emphasised that the Senate, as well as the Committee on Ethics, had been served a court order halting Senator Natasha’s suspension.
He added that Natasha had not been given a fair hearing by the committee and that the Senate’s decision to ignore the order amounted to undermining the judiciary.
“We all know that a few days ago—maybe two days ago—a court order was served on the Senate of Nigeria, the Committee in charge of Ethics, and so on, with proof of service. This was widely circulated on social media, and everyone saw it.
“They obtained a substituted order to serve on the Senate through the Office of the Clerk. This was done. Yet, despite this, the committee proceeded with its report in haste. The accused person, who was at risk of suspension, was not even present.
“In one breath, there was no fair hearing—you never heard the other side, as required under Section 36 of the Constitution. In another breath, you flagrantly disobeyed a court order.
“Then you turn around and say, ‘Oh, the judiciary is not strong enough, the judiciary should improve,’ when in reality, through such actions, we are the very ones undermining judicial institutions in this country. Honestly, if I were the judge and the appropriate applications were brought before me, I would go very far to make that point clear,” he stated.
Idahosa also argued that Natasha’s suspension was predetermined, noting that the Senate President had asked for her to be prepared for suspension when she raised Order 10 over the reallocation of seats in the red chamber.
“Once the Senate President allocates a seat and a Senator complains about their right to that seat, it is a privilege. The right to be in the Senate is conferred by election and a Certificate of Return. Once she raised that point, under Order 10—the famous Order 10 she was citing—the Presiding Officer had a duty to suspend all other matters, consider her complaint seriously, and make a formal ruling.
“But if you watch the proceedings on that day, as the Distinguished Senator was shouting Order 10, I already heard the Presiding Officer talking about preparing her for suspension. Review the tape.
“It was predetermined. Beyond that, when they went to court, the concern was that there was a likelihood that she would be suspended.
That was why she sought legal intervention. If you don’t stop them, they will do it—and they did it, despite receiving the court order,” he said.
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