Akpabio Mocks ‘Court-Declared’ Senators, Says They Lack Legislative Knowledge

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has taken a swipe at lawmakers who reclaimed their mandate through the courts, stating that they contribute to the challenges in the upper legislative chamber due to their lack of understanding of Senate rules.

Akpabio made the remark during plenary on Tuesday while addressing the controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent outburst over seat reallocation.

The lawmaker representing Kogi Central had, on February 20, disrupted proceedings by rejecting her assigned seat and persistently raising a point of order, despite being overruled by the Senate President.

Reacting to the incident on February 25, Akpabio described the altercation as a consequence of ignorance of Senate procedures and directed the National Assembly management to organize periodic orientation sessions for senators who assume office mid-term.

“I think part of the problem is when people come from court… court-declared senators; they missed the orientation,” Akpabio said.

He added that Akpoti-Uduaghan had attempted to speak on the day she was sworn in, despite just receiving the Senate rule book.

“Part of what we give to you when you are sworn in is the standing order of the Senate. I asked if she had opened the rule book to know what to say, but she made a contribution on that day. I think two days later she brought a motion. There is nothing wrong in being vibrant, but there is a lot wrong when you don’t know anything about the procedure,” he added.

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In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a lawsuit at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, accusing Akpabio and his legislative aide, Mfon Patrick, of making defamatory statements against her.

The Kogi lawmaker is demanding a retraction of the alleged defamatory remarks and a public apology in a national newspaper.

Akpoti-Uduaghan secured her Senate seat after a prolonged legal battle. Initially, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Kogi Central senatorial election in February 2023. However, following a legal challenge, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal nullified Sadiku-Ohere’s victory and declared Akpoti-Uduaghan as the rightful winner. The Court of Appeal later upheld the ruling, leading to her swearing-in in November 2023.

The brewing tension between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan raises questions about the treatment of senators who assume office through judicial intervention and whether the Senate President’s comments were a fair critique or an attempt to undermine their legitimacy.