SENATOR DICKSON LEADS DELEGATION TO VISIT SUSPENDED SENATOR AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN
Senator Seriake Dickson, former governor of Bayelsa State, led a delegation of opposition senators to visit suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at her residence on Friday. Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months after refusing to accept her newly assigned seat in the Senate chamber, sparking a dispute that escalated into allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Dickson, a member of the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee, explained that he was absent from Senate proceedings on the day of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension due to his engagement with tax reform bills. “The public may recall that, for the past 3 days, I was attending the 3-day workshop on the Tax Reform Bills,” he stated. After concluding the workshop, Dickson led the delegation to visit Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband at their home. He emphasized that as humans, senators have their low and high moments, “and it is a tradition for Senators to support each other during these moments”. Dickson said they offered advice on how to resolve the issues surrounding her suspension. The visit comes amid widespread debate and criticism, particularly from women’s rights groups and civil society organizations, following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension and allegations against Akpabio.