The Mayor of Urhoboland and renowned ex-militant leader, Eshanekpe Israel, also known as Akpodoro, has lauded the decision by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Akpodoro described the suspension as long overdue, calling it “good riddance to bad rubbish.”
Akpodoro made the comments in Abuja during a visit to a high-ranking lawmaker at the National Assembly Complex on Wednesday.
The visit occurred on the sidelines of a debate in the Senate regarding the suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who had accused Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of making sexual advances towards her, a development Akpodoro called an embarrassment to the public institution.
The Mayor commended Senate President Akpabio for his exemplary character and integrity.
He praised the Senate President for maintaining decorum and professionalism despite the avoidable and tendentious scandal instigated by the female Senator, who he believes deliberately sought to tarnish the reputation of the Senate and its leadership.
Akpodoro added that the six-month suspension imposed on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was well-deserved.
Akpodoro went on to say that the suspension would serve as a deterrent to potential blackmailers in the future.
He emphasized that the Senate should remain a space for discussing national issues, not personal attacks or malicious allegations.
The Mayor criticized Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for her blatant disregard for Senate rules, her rudeness, manipulative tendencies, and her failed attempt to pitch Nigerian women against the Senate in an effort to garner undeserved sympathy.
Akpodoro pointed out that her confrontational behavior showed a lack of respect for authority, which contrasted with the humility, understanding, and forbearance typically associated with Nigerian women.
While acknowledging the suspension, Akpodoro suggested that a one-year suspension might have been a more fitting consequence for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions, saying the six-month period might not be sufficient for her to learn the appropriate behavior in the Senate.
“We knew all along that the Senator was being manipulated by vested political interests who sought to use her as a pawn in a political game aimed at undermining the Senate President and, possibly, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Akpodoro said.
“Thankfully, this plot has been brought to an end by the suspension, although I believe it is too short for her to show genuine remorse. I commend the Akpabio-led Senate for taking this necessary action.”
Akpodoro called on well-meaning Nigerians to disregard the opposition’s attempts to compromise the integrity of the national parliament.
