Former Minister of Education and public accountability advocate, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has taken a hard swipe at the Nigerian Senate, accusing it of weaponizing power to silence Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and calling for an immediate end to what she termed “injustice and institutional intimidation.”
In a forceful memo posted on her X handle and addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and all 107 senators, Ezekwesili congratulated Akpoti-Uduaghan on her return to the chamber after months of suspension, describing her as “a symbol of resilience and courage in the face of abuse of public power.”
Ezekwesili condemned the lawmaker’s earlier suspension — widely criticised by civil society and gender advocates — as a dangerous misuse of legislative authority that undermined democratic values and targeted women who refuse to be silenced.
“Senator Natasha’s suspension went far beyond the bounds of fair discipline. It sent a chilling message that a woman who speaks truth to power must be punished,” Ezekwesili declared.
She described the senator’s reinstatement as a moral reckoning for the 11th Senate, urging its leadership to “restore integrity to the institution” by ending all forms of hostility and silent punishment against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“There must be no further attempt to frustrate or humiliate her for doing her job,” she warned. “True leadership is measured not by how much power one wields, but by how justly that power is used.”
Ezekwesili, a co-founder of Transparency International and vocal governance reform advocate, argued that the issue transcended Akpoti-Uduaghan as an individual, saying it had become “a test case for Nigeria’s democracy and institutional credibility.”
She said the Senate’s handling of the controversy — including the senator’s allegations against Akpabio — would determine whether the upper chamber chooses justice or vindictiveness.
“This is not just about Natasha,” she wrote. “It is about whether Nigeria will continue to tolerate a democracy where truth is punished, and women are bullied out of leadership for daring to dissent.”
The former minister further urged the Senate to respect the will of Kogi Central voters who elected Akpoti-Uduaghan, warning that any further act of victimisation would be seen as contempt for the electorate.
“To target her any further is to disrespect the people who sent her there. The Senate must rise above petty politics and prove that fairness still matters,” Ezekwesili said.
She concluded with a searing reminder to lawmakers that public trust is at stake:
“Nigerians are watching. History will remember whether the 11th Senate stood on the side of justice or surrendered to vindictiveness.”