Natasha: LP advises The Labour Party has again admonished the National Assembly to heed the advice of American and Gambian parliamentarians over its refusal to obey the court judgement to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The party, In a press statement issued over the weekend by Prince Tony Akeni, the interim National Publicity Secretary, pointed out that the world has noticed that the overbearing powers of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, are an abuse of the judiciary in Nigeria.

The party Informed that the concern of the United States government drew the attention of the Nigerian government to a letter by a Gambian member of parliament on the ongoing conflict between the President of the Nigerian Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

The statement further reads, “In the view of the American diplomat, the ‘abuse of the rule of law by the Nigerian Senate against a subsisting court judgement which, since Friday, July 4, 2025, nullified the suspension of Sen. Natasha and implicitly ordered her unhindered return to the Senate, is shameful for your country,’ referring to Nigeria.

“Gambia is a small West African country with about 2.79 million citizens. The country’s 6th Parliament of 53 elected members and five lawmakers appointed by their president, according to their constitution, was inaugurated in 2022.

“Nearly 3,600 km away, like other democracies in Africa and the world, members of the Gambian parliament have been watching the shameful travesty against the rule of law being committed by the Sen. Akpabio-led National Assembly of Nigeria against Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the supposed giant of Africa.

“The Gambian lawmaker, Hon. Fattoumatta Njai of the Gender and Children’s Welfare Committee, who is also a member of the Pan-African Parliament, did not just speak. She wrote her thoughts in fire for the world and posterity to bear record.

“Condemning the imperious power play by the Nigerian Senate President and his National Assembly secretariat, Hon. Njai of The Gambia urged the Nigerian Senate to immediately reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“In her letter dated Tuesday, September 9, 2025, which the US diplomat shared, Hon. Fattoumatta Njai pointed out that Sen. Natasha’s prolonged suspension by the Akpabio Senate disobeys the court judgement of Friday, July 4, 2025, which unequivocally overturned her six-month suspension.”

Meanwhile, the party remarked that the Nigerian Senate’s disobedience of a court ruling undermines West Africa’s democratic civilisation. The Gambian lawmaker condemned the Nigerian Senate’s refusal to admit Akpoti-Uduaghan back to the Senate under any guise.

“In ringing words, Hon. Njai wrote: ‘The Senate (of Nigeria) should obey the courts. In law, one must comply first, then challenge,’ stating that the continued debarment of Natasha from the Senate was a ‘total affront to the rule of law and a threat to dissenting voices.’

“Warning that silencing Akpoti-Uduaghan sends a bad signal across West Africa, she further wrote: ‘Leadership is not about silencing voices, especially those who speak truth with courage and integrity. Natasha represents the hopes of millions of women and youths across Nigeria and beyond.’

‘Justice delayed is justice denied. Nigeria needs all its voices at the table. Senator Natasha must resume her duties without further delay.’

Similarly, speaking at a recent legal conference, Justice Oludotun Adebola Adefope-Okojie, a former Appeal Court judge who retired in May 2023 and saw, after service, all the post-election tribunal activities that brought President Tinubu’s APC to power, warned that a dysfunctional judiciary deters investment and stifles economic growth. She emphasised that ‘no investor will risk capital in a country where the legal system is unreliable, corrupt, or inefficient.’

“In her own insightful words, Justice Adefope-Okojie stated: ‘Investors seek certainty—enforceable contracts, protected property rights, and fair dispute resolution. A judiciary that cannot deliver timely and impartial justice is a national liability. A compromised judiciary, marked by delays, political interference, or corruption, erodes trust, driving investors to jurisdictions with stronger legal frameworks,’ pointing out that ‘nations with independent and efficient judiciaries attract significant foreign direct investment, while countries with failing systems suffer capital flight and economic stagnation.’

The party said that the former Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), during a book launch, similarly corroborated Justice Adefope-Okojie when he let off a headlining bomb by recalling the testimony of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria who told Osinbajo that a UK court ruling during the Ipoh and NNPC case infamously stated that ‘resolving a civil case in Nigeria could take 20 to 30 years. The English Court of Appeal concluded that leaving such a case in Nigeria’s courts would be catastrophic.’

‘That is how the world sees Nigeria’s judiciary. And it is all because of political actors like Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi, their ilk of the ruling APC, and administrations before them who stand astride the system like emperors and serve a nation-ruinous personal agenda and vendetta instead of humanity.’ (Saturday Sun)