The Director of Women Empowerment and Legal Aid, Mrs Funmi Falana SAN has described the suspension of the senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as a “disgraceful display of power”.
Falana, in a statement on Saturday, threatened to drag members of the Senate who are lawyers before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee if the suspension was not reversed.
The wife of human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, argued that the Senate exhibited gross impunity by suspending Akpoti-Uduaghan without fair hearing.
Mrs Falana said, “By suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan without affording her the opportunity to substantiate the allegation of sexual abuse levelled against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate violated her fundamental right to fair hearing guaranteed by section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
“Having sworn to comply with the provisions of the Constitution without fear or favour, the gross impunity exhibited by the senators cannot be justified. The suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate is a disgraceful display of power.
“On two occasions the Senate had suspended two of its members – Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Senator Ali Ndume. On both occasions, the Federal High Court declared the suspensions illegal and unconstitutional.
“In the case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Federal High Court had restrained the Senate Committee from hearing the complaint against her pending the determination of the motion on notice.
“Since the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot be justified under the Constitution and the Rules of the Senate, the Senate is advised to lift the suspension without any delay. Otherwise, the members of the Senate who are lawyers will be dragged to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee by the Women Empowerment and Legal Aid.”(Punch)
