… Says it’s an affront to democracy
Womanifesto, an umbrella body of more than 300 women’s rights organisations, has taken a hard stance against the prolonged exclusion of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate, describing the action as both unconstitutional and a deliberate affront to women’s political participation.
Womanifesto Convener, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, in a signed statement released on Thursday and endorsed by leading civic and women’s organisations across the country, accused the Senate leadership and the National Assembly management of openly defying a subsisting court order, thereby undermining the rule of law. The statement stressed that the development amounts to an assault on Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
Recall that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, was suspended on March 6, 2025. Although the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, subsequently ruled the suspension “excessive” and inconsistent with constitutional provisions, the lawmaker has remained barred from resuming her seat—even after the lapse of the suspension period on September 9.
“Six months after her unlawful suspension, the Senate leadership has continued to resist her reinstatement. This brazen defiance of judicial authority is not merely an institutional misstep; it is a dangerous constitutional overreach that erodes the very foundation of democracy,” the coalition warned.
The statement further emphasised that the issue extends beyond one legislator, noting that her constituents have been effectively denied representation in the upper chamber for half a year. The coalition also linked the exclusion to a broader pattern of political suppression, particularly of women.
“To deny Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan her constitutional mandate after a legitimate election victory and a favourable court ruling is to send a chilling signal to women in politics, that their voices can be silenced at will,” the statement read.
The group outlined four core demands: her immediate and unconditional reinstatement; full compliance with the court ruling; an end to what it called “spurious claims and delay tactics” by the Senate; and accountability for the abuse of legislative authority.
“This is a defining moment. Either the Senate reverses this illegality and restores Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to her rightful place, or it confirms itself as a body willing to sacrifice democracy on the altar of impunity.”
The coalition called on Nigerians, civil society, the media, and the international community to recognise the development as a collective democratic test case rather than a personal dispute.
“Democracy dies when elected voices are silenced. Democracy dies when women are deliberately excluded. Democracy dies when courts are mocked and the Constitution treated as optional,” it added.
The statement was endorsed by several prominent organizations, including ActionAid Nigeria, enough is Enough (EIE), Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), WRAPA, Dinidari Foundation, Bring Back Our Girls, Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, FIDA, WIMBIZ, and a host of others, with prominent voices such as Dr. Oby Ezekwesili also lending support.
