Ezekwesili tells Tinubu, be careful; accuses the government of being ready to “crush any dissent” to maintain control
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili has cautioned Bola Tinubu to be careful the way he handles the persecution of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by Senate President Godswill Akpabio – that has generated national and global interest – so that the President does not cement Nigeria’s image as a “banana republic”.
Akpabio in March presided over the suspension of Natasha from the Senate for an unprecedented six months, at a plenary where she was not given the opportunity to defend herself.
Before the plenary, she had publicly alleged that Akpabio sexually harassed her on at least three occasions in two years – once at his home in Akwa Ibom in 2023, once at his home in Abuja, and once at his Senate office also in Abuja.
Ezekwesili criticised the decision of the Federal Government to arraign Natasha over petitions written by Akpabio and former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, both of whom she accused in a petition of plotting to assassinate her.
Natasha’s own petition to the authorities, written before those of Akpabio and Bello, is one of the 12 petitions she filed between February and April this year over alleged sexual harassment, intimidation, and other matters, which the police have not dealt with.
Her arraignment by Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, in a case of alleged defamation being prosecuted by federal Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, arose from her allegation of sexual harassment by Akpabio and of death threats by both Akpabio and Bello.
Ezekwesili described the arraignment as a “national embarrassment” and an “atrocious injustice” in a statement she addressed to Tinubu on X.
She condemned the government’s involvement in a “shameless saga,” accusing it of misusing power to shield a high-ranking official from scrutiny.
Natasha’s arraignment, initially scheduled for June 3, was postponed to June 19 due to a judicial workers’ strike, then moved forward to June 16, but could not hold because the prosecution failed to serve court papers on her lawyer until 9.15am that morning.
Ezekwesili alleged that the government secretly refiled the charges in a different court without notifying Natasha or her legal team, a move she described as underhanded.
“Imagine the horror,” Ezekwesili wrote, noting that one of Natasha’s lawyers discovered the new charge by chance on the day of the hearing on June 16 and rushed to court to represent her.
She reiterated that government prosecutors requested a bench warrant for Natasha’s arrest, supported by the presence of 10 truckloads of police outside the courtroom.
She questioned the motives behind this “coordinated act of repression”, warning that such actions risk transforming Nigeria into a “banana republic”.
“Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has become a symbol for millions of Nigerians silenced daily for daring to speak truth to power,” Ezekwesili said.
She accused the government of being ready to “crush any dissent” to maintain control.
“Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will not walk alone,” Ezekwesili declared, rallying support for the Kogi Central Senator.
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