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The Labour Party has strongly condemned the continued refusal of the Nigerian Senate, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan despite a subsisting court judgment ordering her return since July 4, 2025.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, the party described the Senate’s action as “a shameful affront to the rule of law” that has now drawn international rebuke.
According to the Labour Party, a United States diplomat on Friday drew its attention to a letter written by Hon. Fattoumatta Njai, a Gambian parliamentarian and member of the Pan-African Parliament, who condemned Nigeria’s upper chamber for disobeying the courts.
“The Senate of Nigeria should obey the courts. In law, one must comply first, then challenge. Leadership is not about silencing voices, especially those who speak truth with courage and integrity,” Hon. Njai wrote in her September 9, 2025 letter, warning that Natasha’s prolonged suspension threatens democratic stability across West Africa.
Njai stressed that justice delayed is justice denied, declaring: “Nigeria needs all its voices at the table. Senator Natasha must resume her duties without further delay.”
The Labour Party argued that the Akpabio-led Senate’s defiance not only undermines Nigeria’s judiciary but also taints the nation’s image abroad. “Nearly 3,600km away, lawmakers in Gambia are watching the travesty against democracy being blissfully committed in the supposed giant of Africa,” Akeni stated.
Backing Njai’s position, Justice Oludotun Adebola Adefope-Okojie, a retired Court of Appeal judge, recently warned that a compromised judiciary deters investment. “No investor will risk capital in a country where the legal system is unreliable, corrupt, or inefficient,” she said, noting that dysfunctional courts drive away foreign capital.
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also echoed similar concerns at a book launch on Thursday, recalling how a UK court once declared that resolving a civil case in Nigeria could take 20 to 30 years, a situation described as “catastrophic.”
The Labour Party linked such judicial dysfunctions to political interference, accusing Senate President Akpabio, Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi, and other political actors of subverting institutions for personal interests.
“As Labour Party, we join our voice to the earnest advice of the Gambian Parliamentarian and the eminent legal luminaries whose insights we shared above. A word is enough for the wise,” Akeni concluded.
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