A strong wave of international solidarity has reached Nigeria’s Senate as Hon. Fatoumatta Njai, a member of the National Assembly of The Gambia, formally petitioned Senate President Godswill Akpabio, demanding the immediate reinstatement of Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after what she described as an “unlawful suspension.”
In a letter addressed to the Senate President and received by the Office of the Senate President on September 9, 2025, Hon. Njai who also serves as Chairperson of the Gender and Children’s Welfare Committee of the Gambian Parliament and a sitting member of the Pan African Parliament condemned the Senate’s continuous disregard of a July 4th judgment by Justice B.F.M. Nyako. The ruling had declared the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha unlawful, excessive, and unconstitutional.
Hon. Njai lamented the exclusion of Senator Natasha, stressing that only three out of 53 elected members in her own Gambian parliament are women. She described Senator Natasha as “a lone voice for millions of women and youth in Nigeria and across Africa,” adding that silencing her amounts to silencing a constituency of hope, justice, and equal representation. She warned that today it is Natasha, but tomorrow it could be any other female lawmaker whose voice is needed in the political space.
Justice Nyako had earlier ruled that suspending a lawmaker for six months equivalent to 180 legislative days was unconstitutional, as it prevented a duly elected representative from serving her people. Despite this judgment, the Senate reportedly refused Senator Natasha access to its premises on July 22, 2025, an action Njai criticized as blatant disobedience to the rule of law. She emphasized that the Senate, as a critical arm of government, should set an example by respecting court orders rather than disregarding them.
Hon. Njai’s letter framed Senator Natasha’s ordeal as a wider struggle for democracy and integrity.
According to her, the Senator’s “only crime was to speak truth to power,” which she said was a clear signal of the Senate’s intolerance toward dissenting voices. She stressed that true leadership means listening to opposition, not silencing it. Njai appealed to the Nigerian Senate to rise above partisan politics and set a positive example for the ECOWAS sub-region, urging Nigeria to embrace its role as a parent nation and a model of democratic governance.
She reiterated that justice delayed is justice denied, insisting that the prolonged suspension beyond the court’s stipulated six months was unlawful and dangerous to Nigeria’s democratic culture. She urged the Senate to immediately recall Senator Natasha without further delay, emphasizing that Nigeria needs all its voices at the table, especially those willing to challenge the status quo and stand for human rights.
Hon. Njai concluded her letter with a passionate plea, stating: “Let us not be silent when injustice speaks the loudest. Let us stand for what is right.” She further copied all Nigerian senators, members of international institutions, and the diplomatic corps, signaling that the issue is no longer domestic but of continental importance.
