Atiku Hails Natasha’s Return to Senate: ‘Voice of Reason Has Defeated Tyranny’

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has applauded the reopening of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s office at the National Assembly, describing the move as evidence that “the voice of reason has prevailed.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was suspended by the Senate in March for six months. On Tuesday, she regained access to her office, Suite 2.05 in the Senate Wing, which was unsealed by Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, amid cheers from her supporters.

Although plenary is still on recess until October 7, 2025, the development sparked widespread reactions, particularly from opposition leaders.

Reacting on his X handle, Atiku hailed her reinstatement as a victory for democracy.

“It is reassuring that the voice of reason has prevailed at last with the unsealing of the office of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Though the precious time denied the people of Kogi Central in the Senate can never be reclaimed, this struggle has not been in vain. It has proven, once again, that when we stand together, we can triumph over tyranny,” he wrote.

The former Vice President linked her suspension to what he called a broader trend of political intimidation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to Atiku, “the suspension of Natasha, the crisis in Rivers State involving Governor Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers, and the weaponisation of state institutions to harass and intimidate opposition voices are deliberate moves. These are not isolated acts. They are deliberate markers of the Tinubu administration’s strategy as 2027 approaches: to subvert our hard-earned democracy and compromise the will of the people at any cost.”

He pledged continued resistance from the opposition, saying: “On our part, we shall do everything legitimate and within the bounds of the law to protect our democracy, defend the sovereignty of the people’s mandate, and rescue our nation from the grip of authoritarianism.”

Earlier in the day, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared at the FCT High Court in a defamation case filed against her by the Federal Government before heading to the National Assembly, where her return to her office was marked with songs and jubilation by her supporters.

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