By Admin
An Non-Governmental Organization, Participation Initiative for Behavioral Change in Development, (PIBCID), has condemned in strong term the alleged bullying of Kogi Lawmaker, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Mrs. Akande Remilekun, PIBCID Executive Director, made the remarks in a statement issued in Lokoja on Friday.
Remilekun described the Senate President’s action against the female lawmaker as “very unfortunate and undemocratic.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, had on Thursday had an altercation with the Senate President on sitting arrangement, which caused the president to ask the Sergeant-At-Arms to walk her out of the Senate Chamber.
The issue began when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned following a reshuffle prompted by opposition members moving to the majority wing.
She had refused to relocate prompting the Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, to cite senate rules to justify the change, explaining that seat adjustments were within the Senate President’s authority.
He warned that non-compliance could lead to penalties, including exclusion from Senate debates.
Akpabio upheld Monguno’s order and denied Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan the floor when she attempted to speak from her old seat.
In protest, the Kogi lawmaker raised her voice, accusing the leadership of silencing her.
But the civil rights activist called on the Akpabio to tender a public apology to the lawmaker, arguing that female lawmaker has her fundamental human right to speak for herself and the people she represent.
She averred: “In a modern society and a true democratic setting, it is pathetic and scrupulous to see a leader as Akpabio at the national assembly to keep bullying his colleagues without respecting their views while making their contributions on national issues.”
“What happened at the national assembly on Thursday, was a show of shame and is highly condemnable.
“Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan deserves all the respect from the Senate President because she was elected by her people and not selected.
“Sen. Akpabio should stop treating Women like trash or garbage, which he can dispose at his own convenience.
“A similar incident happened like this when Sen. Bukola Saraki was Senate President, and he managed it effectively without any rancour on the floor of the house.
“Why is Akpabio’s own different? We are not in a Banana Republic that somebody will be acting like autocratic leader in the name of Senate President.
“It is on the ground, we are calling on him to tender an unreserved public apology to distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for this reckless, disgusting and unacceptable action of his during plenary, ” she said.
She added: “His (Akpobio’s) persistent humiliation and assault of Women in modern society is a big threat to our fundamental human rights, and our nascent democracy. This must stop now”. (ephemeralnews.com.ng)
