The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately intervene and direct the withdrawal of the ongoing criminal case against suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
In a statement posted Monday on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, SERAP said:
“Following his expressed commitment on June 12, we call on President Tinubu to promptly direct Nigeria’s Attorney General to immediately discontinue the case(s) against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is targeted simply for the peaceful exercise of her human rights.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently facing prosecution in a case many believe was instigated at the behest of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. The case follows a heated confrontation between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio on February 20, 2025, which sparked a series of disciplinary measures from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
At the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, prosecutors led by Mr. D.D. Kasue requested a bench warrant for the senator’s arrest, alleging she failed to appear for arraignment despite having been served through her legal counsel. The court, however, declined to grant the request, marking a legal reprieve for the embattled lawmaker.
The legal drama intensified last week when the Court of Appeal in Abuja struck out two motions filed by Akpabio that sought to challenge an earlier Federal High Court ruling in favor of Akpoti-Uduaghan. Justice Obiora Egwuatu had granted an injunction on March 10, preventing the Senate Committee from proceeding with disciplinary actions. Akpabio’s motions—dated March 20 and March 25—were dismissed after his legal team voluntarily filed notices of withdrawal.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, known for her vocal opposition to certain legislative procedures and her anti-corruption advocacy, has described the charges and disciplinary proceedings against her as “politically motivated.”
Human rights organizations and civic advocates, including SERAP, have increasingly voiced concern over what they describe as an abuse of prosecutorial powers and the shrinking space for dissent within the legislative sphere.
As pressure mounts on the presidency, observers are closely watching to see whether President Tinubu will heed the call and instruct the Attorney General to withdraw the case—an action that could signal a renewed commitment to democratic freedoms and judicial independence in Nigeria.
