ANY LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE CASE OF SENATOR NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN?
2 min read
The first tragedy of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case is the fact that one of the few female senators in Nigeria was suspended in a blatant violation of the Constitution by the Senate leadership, apparently in retaliation for her courage in speaking out against sexual harassment by the Senate President. Instead of conducting an open and honest investigation, they chose to silence her. To maintain this injustice, Senate leadership mobilized resources to permanently remove her, including orchestrating her recall. That was the first tragedy.
The second tragedy is that the Nigerian judiciary failed to intervene promptly and decisively to put a stop to what it recognized as an unconstitutional action by the Senate.
Now that Senator Natasha has finally returned to the Senate, we are confronted with the third and most profound tragedy: the country is failing to learn any lasting lessons from these events. There is no doubt that Senator Natasha has been vindicated, as we all anticipated. She has proven herself to be a brave fighter and possesses the qualities of excellent leadership, even for the highest office in Nigeria. However, the implications extend beyond her personal vindication.
Senator Natasha’s case should have sparked reforms and policy reviews regarding sexual harassment and the protection of individuals in Nigeria. When a sitting senator reports sexual harassment, it signals the need for the nation to thoroughly investigate and ensure adequate protection for all exposed and vulnerable individuals. Unfortunately, this critical lesson remains unlearned, which stands as the most troubling tragedy of this case.
