Natasha’s Suspension: CCB Receives Petition Against Akpabio

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has been petitioned over the alleged abuse of power and violation of the oath of office by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alongside Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Neda Imasuen.

The petition, submitted by the Forum of Aggrieved Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District, accuses the three senators of unlawfully suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan despite a subsisting court order restraining such action.

The group, in a strongly worded petition addressed to the CCB Chairman, insisted that the suspension was a deliberate attempt to silence their senator and deprive the people of Kogi Central of representation in the Senate.

According to the petition, Akpoti-Uduaghan had secured an interim injunction from the Federal High Court on 4th March 2025, barring the Senate from proceeding with its planned disciplinary action against her.

However, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Imasuen, allegedly ignored the order and went ahead with the hearing on 5th March.

The petition further alleges that Senator Imasuen’s committee, in a move described as hasty and unlawful, invited Akpoti-Uduaghan for a hearing on 11th March but suddenly altered the date, sending a fresh invitation on the same day the hearing was conducted.

It claims that the committee prepared its report in defiance of the court order and presented it before the Senate on 6th March, where it was adopted under Akpabio’s leadership.

It also points out that the committee’s recommendation for a six-month suspension contradicts the Senate’s own rules, which stipulate a maximum of 14 legislative days for such disciplinary action under Order 67(4) of the Senate Standing Rules.

The petitioners accused Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele of aiding and abetting the illegal action by actively supporting the adoption of the report, despite being fully aware of the court’s directive.

“Their willfully abusive actions are arbitrary and knowingly prejudicial to the right of Kogi Central Constituents to have their elected Senator represent their collective interests in the Senate,” the petition stated.

It further argues that the actions of the three senators violate paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule (Part 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which deals with the conduct of public officers.

The petitioners have called on the CCB to investigate the matter and take necessary disciplinary measures against Akpabio, Bamidele, and Imasuen, stating that their actions constitute a blatant disregard for the rule of law and due process.