Former federal lawmaker West Idahosa has spoken out against the Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. He believes the decision was unfair and violated both the law and the rights of the senator.

Idahosa pointed out that the Senate and its Committee on Ethics ignored a court order that stopped them from suspending Senator Natasha. According to him, this act not only wronged the senator but also disrespected Nigeria’s judicial system.

He explained that the court order was officially served to the Senate and widely shared on social media. However, the committee went ahead with its report and suspension without allowing Natasha to defend herself.

“In one instance, there was no fair hearing as required by the Constitution. In another, a court order was ignored. Then we blame the judiciary for being weak when, in reality, we are the ones undermining it,” he said.

Idahosa also claimed that Natasha’s suspension was planned before it happened. He pointed out that when she raised Order 10 to challenge the reallocation of Senate seats, the Senate President had already mentioned preparing her for suspension.

He explained that a senator’s right to their seat is backed by election results and a Certificate of Return. When Natasha raised her concern under Order 10, the Senate President should have paused all other matters and ruled on her complaint. Instead, he moved towards suspending her.

“If you watch the Senate proceedings that day, as Natasha was citing Order 10, you can hear the Presiding Officer saying she should be prepared for suspension. This shows the decision was already made,” Idahosa stated.

He added that Natasha took the matter to court to prevent her suspension, knowing there was a high chance it would happen. However, despite the legal warning, the Senate still went ahead with its decision.

Idahosa strongly criticized the Senate’s actions, saying they undermined democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria.