The Labour Party (LP) has criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the leadership of the 10th National Assembly over the continued exclusion of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from legislative duties, saying the development is damaging Nigeria’s global reputation and discouraging foreign investment.
The LP’s reaction follows the refusal of the National Assembly to allow Akpoti-Uduaghan resume her seat after the expiration of her six-month suspension. Despite notifying the Clerk of the National Assembly of her readiness to return on September 4, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central was told her case remains pending at the Court of Appeal and that no administrative action could be taken until judgment is delivered.
In a statement issued by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, the party argued that the stance of the Senate leadership reflects disregard for judicial authority and undermines investor confidence. “Foreign investors will never put their money in a country where even the legislature—the makers of law—openly defy the courts,” the LP said.
The party linked Nigeria’s worsening economic climate to weak institutions and inconsistent governance. It cited the exit of Michelin to Ghana years ago and ongoing struggles of manufacturing companies as examples of how investor confidence has steadily eroded. “If companies cannot be assured of justice when their operations are tampered with by political interests or hostile competitors, they will simply pack up and leave. This is exactly why industries like Michelin fled to Ghana years ago, and why giants like Dufil Prima, makers of Indomie noodles that feed millions of poor Nigerians, are now on the verge of collapse,” the statement added.
The LP further accused Akpabio of reducing the Senate into a partisan tool. According to the party, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension and continued exclusion show a pattern of what it described as “authoritarianism” within the legislature.
“By undermining her right to sit in the chamber, the Akpabio-led Senate undermines Nigeria itself,” the LP said.
It stressed that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case is not only about an individual lawmaker but a test of Nigeria’s democratic integrity. “As Senate President, Akpabio should have been the first to stand at the National Assembly gate to welcome Senator Natasha back—not only in obedience to the court, but as a leader, a father figure, and the number one democracy diplomat of Nigeria,” the party stated.
The statement also warned that the situation sends a troubling message internationally. “It is the unreflective, high-handed, and anti-people authoritarianism on display in Nigeria’s governance corridors—embodied by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his loyalists in the National Assembly through their relentless persecution of Senator Natasha—that reinforces the Canadian government’s justification for branding Akpabio’s APC, and even his former party, the PDP, as terrorist organizations rather than genuine political parties,” it read.
The LP concluded by insisting that the delay in reinstating Akpoti-Uduaghan continues to harm Nigeria’s democratic image and weakens its attractiveness to global investors. “The world is watching. Investors are watching. And Nigerians are watching. Democracy survives only when leaders lead by example,” it said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, suspended on March 6 for alleged gross misconduct, maintains that her suspension has expired and insists on resuming her duties. The Senate, however, has stood by its decision to await the outcome of the ongoing legal process.
For now, the senator remains locked out of her office, while her constituents in Kogi Central are left without representation in the Red Chamber. The Court of Appeal is expected to deliver a ruling that could determine not only her return but also clarify the scope of legislative authority in disciplining elected members.
