By: Olayinka Olawole
The Nigerian Senate, once seen as the stronghold of democracy and a symbol of legislative integrity, has devolved into a theater of absurdity, an institution hijacked by individuals more preoccupied with personal vendettas than with serving the people they were elected to represent.
The recent suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti is not just an attack on her as an individual; it is a resounding declaration that the system is rigged against women who dare to challenge the status quo. It is a chilling reminder that in a country where justice is often manipulated, the girl child and every aspiring female leader are walking a tightrope in a political landscape designed to keep them silent and subservient.
Akpoti, a fearless advocate for good governance, has long been a target for those who fear accountability. Her suspension reeks of orchestrated political suppression, a blatant abuse of legislative power wielded against a woman who refuses to be cowered. But what is even more appalling is the manner in which due process was thrown to the wind.
How can an institution that claims to uphold justice allow individuals accused of wrongdoing to preside over their own judgment? How does a body tasked with making laws become an instrument of lawlessness? In any functioning democracy, fairness and transparency are non-negotiable, yet Nigeria’s Senate seems to operate on a different script, one where power is used as a weapon against those who challenge the system.
There was a time when the Senate, despite its imperfections, carried an air of credibility. Under the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki, it still retained a semblance of dignity, a commitment, however flawed, to legislative responsibility. Today, what we have is a grotesque shadow of that institution, a hollowed-out chamber where masks of democracy are worn to conceal the deep-seated rot within.
The suspension of Natasha Akpoti is not just about her; it is about the message being sent to every woman in Nigeria who dreams of leadership. It is about the dangerous precedent that allows political witch-hunting to masquerade as legislative discipline. And most importantly, it is about a nation that continues to fail its people by allowing impunity to reign unchecked.
If justice can be sacrificed so brazenly in the hallowed halls of the Senate, what hope is left for the ordinary Nigerian? What hope is left for democracy?
I, firmly stand with Senator Natasha Akpoti on this critical issue. Her unwavering stance against injustice and her powerful declaration in the hollowed-out chamber, “This injustice will not be sustained,” resonate deeply
