Spokesperson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has accused the Nigerian Senate of undermining democracy by preventing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from returning to her seat despite completing her six-month suspension.
Speaking on Channels Television, Abdullahi described the Senate’s stance as “dubious” and politically motivated, stressing that the suspension had no bearing on the court case the upper chamber has cited as grounds to block her resumption.
“It was not the court that suspended Natasha; it was the National Assembly, and the punishment was for six months. She has served that suspension. There is no reason why she should not be admitted unless the Senate wants to give Nigerians the impression that there are other issues they are hiding,” Abdullahi said.
He emphasised that the issue transcends partisan politics, noting that although Akpoti-Uduaghan does not belong to the ADC, her continued exclusion amounts to stripping her constituents of representation.
“The voice of Natasha is the voice of her people. When you deny her admission, you deny her people a voice in the Senate,” he said.
The former minister also highlighted the gender dimension of the controversy, pointing out that out of 109 senators, only four are women.
“That is just 2.7 percent—one of the worst records globally. When you excessively punish one of these few women, you risk discouraging others from coming forward to contest elections,” he warned.
Turning to broader political concerns, Abdullahi said Nigerians must critically assess whether the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has improved their lives ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We want a situation where, if Nigerians decide they want change, they can look at the ADC as a credible alternative,” he stated.
He explained that the ADC is not driven by desperation for offices but by a commitment to build “a real political party” founded on egalitarianism and equal membership.
“Unlike 2014 and 2015 when you had mergers of political parties, what we have now is a merger of individuals. Every member feels empowered to provide leadership, whether at ward, state, or zonal level. That is how we will deliver our objectives,” he said.
Abdullahi also dismissed claims of division within the ADC, insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had duly recognised the party’s new leadership led by former Senate President David Mark.
He said the leadership transition was completed after the resignation of previous executives, and INEC’s formal acknowledgement had boosted confidence among party members nationwide.
“Some people hold press conferences and make claims, but they lack the locus to challenge our leadership. What happened was purely administrative, and INEC has now confirmed our officers, including Senator David Mark as National Chairman. With this recognition, our members can now move forward deliberately in building our party,” he explained.
While acknowledging that the ADC had a poor showing in a recent by-election, Abdullahi argued that the contest took place less than a month after the party’s leadership transition and therefore could not be a fair measure of its strength.
He revealed that ADC meetings are now happening in wards across the country, with membership swelling ahead of systematic registration drives planned for later this year.
For Abdullahi, the central question going into 2027 remains whether Nigerians are satisfied with the APC government.
“The most important thing is that Nigerians now feel they have options. They can say, ‘we are happy with the ruling party,’ or they can look at ADC and say, ‘here is the alternative,’” he concluded.
