ABUJA, September 13, 2025 — Jungle-Journalist.Com
The Labour Party has condemned the continued suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate, despite a subsisting court judgment that ordered her reinstatement. The party’s reaction comes after Hon. Fattoumatta Njai, a member of the Gambian Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament, wrote an open letter urging Nigeria’s Senate to obey the ruling of July 4, 2025, which nullified Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
According to the letter dated September 9 and shared by a U.S. diplomat with the Labour Party, Njai criticized the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for what she described as a disregard for the rule of law. “The Senate (of Nigeria) should obey the courts. In law, one must comply first, then challenge,” she wrote, warning that Natasha’s prolonged suspension was “a total affront to the rule of law and a threat to dissenting voices.”
Njai further stressed that silencing the Kogi Central Senator sent a dangerous signal across West Africa, adding: “Leadership is not about silencing voices, especially those who speak truth with courage and integrity. Natasha represents the hopes of millions of women and youths across Nigeria and beyond. Justice delayed is justice denied. Senator Natasha must resume her duties without further delay.”
The Labour Party echoed Njai’s position in a statement signed by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, insisting that the refusal to comply with the court ruling undermines Nigeria’s democracy and credibility.
The controversy around Natasha’s suspension has also attracted comments from notable Nigerian jurists. Retired Appeal Court Justice Oludotun Adebola Adefope-Okojie warned at a recent legal conference that “a dysfunctional judiciary deters investment and stifles economic growth.” She argued that no investor would risk capital in a country where the judiciary is unreliable, politically compromised, or corrupt.
Similarly, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) recalled at a book launch that a UK appellate court once noted that civil cases in Nigeria could drag on for “20 to 30 years,” describing such delays as catastrophic for the justice system and the economy.
Observers say the situation has placed the Nigerian Senate under fresh international and domestic pressure to reverse its position on Akpoti-Uduaghan. The Labour Party maintains that compliance with the court order is not optional and urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi to “do the needful in the interest of democracy.”
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