Nigeria’s democracy is under fire, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) isn’t mincing words. In a blistering rebuke of the Senate, the NLC has accused the Godswill Akpabio-led upper chamber of plunging the country into a “legislative dictatorship” following its continued barring of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her duties—months after her suspension legally expired.
In a statement issued by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the union described the Senate’s actions as a “premeditated assault on democracy”, warning that the ongoing persecution of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is not only unconstitutional but “morally reprehensible” and a direct threat to the sovereignty of Nigerian voters.
“This is no longer democracy,” the statement thundered. “This is fascism in legislative robes.”
The NLC lambasted the Senate for what it called a “cynical ploy” to silence dissent and manipulate legal processes, slamming its refusal to reinstate the Kogi Central Senator even after a court voided her suspension. Citing flimsy legal technicalities and hiding behind sub judice claims, the NLC says the Senate’s conduct reeks of “legislative bad faith” and exposes a disturbing willingness to “crush opposition” at any cost.
“By willfully disenfranchising an entire senatorial district, the Senate is effectively stealing the political representation for which the people pay taxes,” Ajaero said.
The six-month suspension—already declared illegal by the courts—was set to expire, but rather than honor the rule of law, the Senate has allegedly chosen to defy it, leaving Akpoti-Uduaghan in political limbo and the people of Kogi Central voiceless in national affairs.
The NLC went further, warning that the move is a “test-run” for broader political repression as the country eyes the 2027 general elections. It accused the National Assembly leadership of attempting to purge voices of “integrity and honour” from the system in what it described as a “war on representative democracy.”
The labour union, which represents millions across Nigeria, has vowed to take action, threatening mass mobilization if Akpoti-Uduaghan is not reinstated.
“The Nigerian people, united across ethnic and religious lines, will not stand idly by while you cannibalise our democracy,” the NLC warned. “An attack on one senator today is an attack on the sovereignty of every Nigerian voter tomorrow.”
With the NLC now actively circling the wagons, pressure is mounting on Senate President Akpabio and the leadership of the National Assembly to back down from what many are now calling a dangerous flirtation with authoritarianism.
For now, the political temperature continues to rise, and all eyes remain fixed on the Senate chamber — where democracy, it seems, is on trial.
