Natasha: Stop politicizing calls for Senate transparency, Saraki tells Akpabio

Former Senate President Dr. Abubakar Saraki has criticized Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s claim that calls for a thorough investigation into allegations made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan are an attempt to remove a Niger Delta leader from office, labeling the statement as “cheap politics and trivializing a serious issue.”

In a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, head of Saraki’s media office, the former Senate President emphasized that his March 1, 2025, press release did not call for Akpabio’s resignation but instead urged him to prioritize the integrity of the Senate by ensuring a credible and transparent investigation.

“Rather, he advised that Akpabio should act in the best interest of the legislative institution by ensuring that no reasonable person is left with any doubt about the fact that the allegations raised by the Senator were investigated and justifiably dispensed with,” the statement read.

Saraki responded to Akpabio’s remarks during a meeting with youth leaders, where Akpabio suggested individuals from Kwara and Adamawa states were seeking his removal due to his Niger Delta background. Saraki dismissed this as an attempt to shift focus from the core issue of protecting the Senate’s credibility.

“Ordinarily, Dr. Saraki would have ignored the statement as a sign of the times in which we now live. However, its underlying motive of politicising and trivialising a serious issue that threatens the integrity, credibility, and importance of the legislature is the reason why we think we should not allow the Senate President to create a misleading impression of the issue at stake in the all-important institution that the National Assembly represents in our democracy,” the statement continued.

Saraki reiterated that his intervention was not about the validity of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims but about the need for the Senate to follow due process to avoid any perception of covering up serious allegations.

He stressed the importance of handling allegations of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office with transparency to protect the institution’s public image and inspire confidence in legislative processes.

“This issue is definitely not one in which Akpabio should exploit ethnic sentiments, political division, or regional proclivity. This will neither be in his own interest or that of the institution over which he is presiding. He should face the reality on ground and do what is right,” Saraki urged.

He concluded by reaffirming the need for an unbiased investigation, emphasizing that preserving the Senate’s integrity should transcend political and regional affiliations.