Fear of Persecution Made Colleagues Shun Me During Suspension – Natasha

Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has disclosed that fear of political persecution prevented her colleagues in the Senate from openly supporting her during her six-month suspension from the National Assembly.

Speaking at the commissioning of a new market in Okene, Kogi State, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan said while many lawmakers privately expressed solidarity, they refrained from public association with her to avoid political backlash.

“When a government official faces challenges, isolation comes naturally,” she said. “Even when people are sympathetic, they are afraid to associate with you openly for fear of being castigated or persecuted. Many senators stood by me quietly — they called, they visited — but in public, they couldn’t show it. I’m not offended by that.”

The senator described her suspension as illegal, noting that it exposed how fear and intimidation shape behaviour within public institutions.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March over an alleged misconduct linked to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. She was reinstated in September after completing her six-month suspension.