The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the continued refusal to allow Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to resume her seat in the Senate after completing a six-month suspension.
The ADC described the action as a violation of democratic principles and a dangerous precedent.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the Senate leadership of defying legal and moral obligations by blocking the Kogi Central lawmaker from returning to the chamber.
“The continued obstruction of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her seat is not only malicious but deeply injurious to the spirit of our constitutional democracy,” the statement read.
“Whether one agrees with the basis for her suspension or not, its tenure has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her return is both illegal and morally indefensible.”
The ADC warned that the move reflects an increasingly anti-democratic posture by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, which it accused of silencing opposition voices and punishing dissent.
According to the statement, Senator Natasha was stripped of her salaries, legislative aides, and access to her office during the suspension — measures the party described as “institutional mugging.”
“Even more disturbing is the posture of the Senate leadership, which acts as though legislative power can be exercised without accountability. A suspension that has run its course cannot be made indefinite by stealth,” Abdullahi said, citing legal experts who insist that a pending court case cannot override a senator’s constitutional mandate.
The party also criticized the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly for refusing to process Natasha’s resumption, accusing him of “administrative complicity” and insisting that his role is to facilitate, not adjudicate, parliamentary matters.
The ADC stressed that Natasha’s continued exclusion undermines women’s political participation, noting that she is one of only four female senators out of 109.
“Nigeria’s female representation in the Senate stands at just 2.7 percent, one of the lowest in Africa,” the statement added. “Actions that intimidate or sideline the few women in parliament will only worsen gender imbalance and damage Nigeria’s global image.”
The party demanded that Senator Natasha be allowed to immediately resume her duties, describing the matter as a test of Nigeria’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and inclusion.
National grid collapse throws Nigeria into darkness as capacity crashes to 120MW
A general view of a power distribution plant which has ran out of power supply following a collapse of the national grid resulting in total blackout in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, on March 15, 2022. From Nigerian airlines to Malawi bakers, African countries are feeling the pain of Ukraine’s crisis as supply disruptions hike inflation and oil prices push up fuel costs. Global oil prices touched ten-year highs of more than $100 a barrel soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, doubling diesel prices for African countries like Nigeria. Ukraine and Russia are both major suppliers of wheat and grains to Africa and Western sanctions and disruptions are already hiking costs across the continent. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP) (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)
Nigeria’s fragile power sector suffered another major setback on Wednesday as the national electricity grid collapsed, leaving most parts of the country in blackout.
The grid, known for frequent collapse crashed from 4,500 megawatts to 120MW.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) confirmed the outage in a public notice, citing a total loss of supply from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) at 11:23 a.m.
“Please be informed that the power outage currently being experienced is due to a loss of supply from the national grid… affecting electricity supply across our franchise areas,” AEDC stated.
The utility assured customers that efforts were underway with relevant stakeholders to restore supply once the grid stabilises.
Real-time data from the National System Operator (NSO) seen at 1:10 p.m. showed that only 120 megawatts (MW) were available on the grid — a fraction of Nigeria’s installed capacity of over 12,000 MW and far below the 4,000–5,000 MW typically distributed on a normal day.
The limited power was shared among just four distribution companies (DisCos). Ibadan Disco currently has about 50 MW, followed by Enugu Disco with 40 MW. Abuja Disco, at the time of writing this report has 20 MW, while Benin Disco has 10 MW.
The remaining seven DisCos, including Ikeja, Eko, Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Port Harcourt and Yola, were left with zero allocation, meaning no power supply to their franchise areas.
This latest system collapse adds to a long list of grid failures that have plagued Africa’s largest economy.
