Advocate for justice and good governance, Aisha Yesufu has come to the defence of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently suspended from the Nigerian Senate.
The Senate said the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District was suspended for six months over “total violation of the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 as amended”.
This follows her allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Perspectives on Saturday, Aisha Yesufu said the Senate cannot take away what they did not give to Senator Natasha while stressing that she was elected by her constituents.
“One of the things that we must understand is the fact that sexual harassment is not something to be condoned. It has gone on for ages but it is not acceptable.
“And we all must understand that the silence of our mothers and our elders is not our silence. And also our own silence is not the silence of the younger generation. They are pushing back and they have a reason to.
“On the issue of the sexual harassment, at any time that a victim feels comfortable or have had enough, and speak out.
“We must understand that a lot of times, there are always remote causes to something. You take it in; you keep quiet, and there are some moments where you just cannot take it anymore.
“I think Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan got to that stage. It was like enough is enough for her. I cannot keep being harassed.
“We all live in Nigeria and we know the kind of environment that we live in, and the fact that women are not protected. So, you find women and even little children are being harassed sexually.
“And now we have someone at the level that she is speaking and yet they are sort of like trying to silence her.
“I think what is most instructive, having seen this from the Senate, is the fact that there needs to be an independent investigation. Nothing is being said about this. The focus is more on technicalities,” Yesufu said.
She went further to say: “On the issue of her writing her petition, when you have a case, you are supposed to be the one to write you petition.
“There are certain rules, if they do not make sense, if they are not about equity, if there is no justice to it, sometimes, you have to challenge those rules.
“Beyond that also, the biggest travesty of it all is the fact that the accused was also the judge in this case.
“If you are talking about the Senate being an institution that is so well-respected, that is supposed to be of members, who are distinguished, even though they have not distinguished themselves, you would expect they would have had the courage to have said to the Senate President, step down on this issue.
“And if the members of the Senate were unable to have the courage to do this, then you would have thought that integrity would have made the Senate President to recuse himself. None of that happened.
“For me, the question is this: what right does the Senate or members of the Senate have to take away something that the constitution of this country has given someone.
“Senator Natasha was not made a Senator by her fellow Senators in the Senate. She was made a Senator by her constituents, who voted for her. When there were issues with the election, she went to court and she got her mandate back.
“So, they cannot strip her of something they were not the ones that gave her. And I do not think it makes sense to suspend somebody for six months. They do not have the right.
“This is a travesty that we should all stand up against. Senator Natasha was not humiliated. The Senate humiliated itself. It shows that it has men and women who do not have courage”.