Rights activist, Okechukwu Nwanguma has leaned his weight behind the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to intervene against what he described as ‘the brazen persecution of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Akpabio-led Nigerian Senate.’
According to Nwanguma, the intervention by NLC is timely, courageous, and absolutely necessary.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s ‘Kettle of Fish’ opened following a six-month suspension imposed on her by the Senate leadership, which the NLC and others called illegal.
However, despite the expiration of the suspension and a court ruling voiding it, the Senate has cited a legal technicality to justify preventing the Senator’s return.
NLC, through its President, Joe Ajaero had in a statement on Thursday, berated the Senate for refusing to reinstate the lawmaker, labeling it a ‘descent into legislative dictatorship’ and a ‘premeditated assault on democracy.’
Ajaero accused the Senate of manipulating the judiciary to persecute political opponents, arguing that the continued exclusion of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan deprives the people of Kogi Central of their right to representation, effectively disenfranchising an entire senatorial district.
In an exclusive chat on Friday, with the News Chronicle correspondent, Nwanguma, who is the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, aligned himself with the NLC’s stand, insisting that it is not just about one Senator, but about defending Nigeria’s hard-earned democracy from the grip of ‘autocratic, visionless, and self-serving kleptocrats.’
“For months, Nigerians have watched in disbelief as the Senate descended into legislative dictatorship, suspending a duly elected representative, ignoring valid court rulings, and clinging to shameless technicalities to perpetuate injustice. The people of Kogi Central have been denied their voice in the hallowed chambers, and by extension, every Nigerian has been reminded that our democracy is under siege.
“Even more worrisome is the Senate’s vow to ‘stand on the mandate’ of a president plagued by a legitimacy crisis, rather than on the people’s democratic and constitutional mandate. This is not statesmanship; it is servitude to an undemocratic system that values loyalty to power over loyalty to the people. By choosing this path, the Senate has abandoned its constitutional role as a check on executive excess and instead become an accomplice in dismantling democracy,” he said.
Nwanguma described the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, despite clear court pronouncements, as an assault on the rule of law and a declaration of war on dissent, expressing worry that it might be a test-run for a broader authoritarian project as 2027 approaches to silence courageous voices in the legislature.
According to him, “The NLC’s intervention reminds us of labour’s historic role as the defender of the common good and the last line of resistance against tyranny.
“The Senate’s action is an attack on every Nigerian voter; to resist it is to defend the sovereignty of the people.
“I therefore welcome the NLC’s unequivocal stance and affirm our commitment to joining forces with all pro-democracy movements, civil society, and citizens of conscience to halt this dangerous slide.
“Nigeria cannot afford to be governed by leaders whose loyalty is to personal gain and external patronage rather than to the people they swore to serve. We must confront this creeping autocracy with unity, courage, and resolve. The time has come for Nigerians across divides, including labour, civil society, students, professionals, and ordinary citizens, to speak with one voice.
“The choice before us is clear: either we resist the cannibalisation of our democracy today, or we wake up tomorrow enslaved by the whims of power-drunk politicians.”
