Natasha’s suspension: I’m one of those who put Akpabio in trouble, Karimi confesses

Kogi-West senator, Sunday Karimi, admitted on Thursday how he contributed to the travails of the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, for coming under public criticism due to the misconduct of his Kogi State colleague, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi-Central).

The Senate slammed a six-month suspension on Akpoti-Uduaghan on Thursday after it endorsed the report of its Committee on Ethics and Privileges that probed her 20 February 2025 verbal exchange with Akpabio over the reallocation of her seat.

The panel found her guilty of Order 6 of the Senate standing orders, which empowers the President of the Senate to allocate seats to senators from time to time.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate as the report was tabled, Karimi confessed to his colleagues how he contributed to creating the problem Akpabio was facing with Akpoti-Uduaghan, profusely apologising to the Senate President.

He recalled how he, along with other senators, pleaded with Akpabio when Akpoti-Uduaghan first came to the Senate, to fully accommodate her in the assigning of committee positions.

“I want to confess my sin today. I am one of those who put you in this problem, and I am very sorry.

“I was one of those who begged you to accommodate her in the chairmanship position,” he revealed.

Karimi further recalled that Akpabio’s immediate reaction was that he asked how he would appoint a newcomer to head a committee ahead of ranking senators, and particularly a strategic committee like the one on local content development.

He noted that his reason for making a case for Akpoti-Uduaghan was because the previous head of the committee was from Kogi State, adding that he strongly believed that Akpoti-Uduaghan, having come from the state, should be given the committee.

Karimi told his colleagues how the relationship between him and Akpoti-Uduaghan later rapidly went sour to a point she no longer spoke to him.

On the fateful day of the verbal exchange with Akpabio, the Kogi lawmaker said Akpoti-Uduaghan thoroughly abused him and his mother on the floor, believing that as the Chairman, Senate Services, he was responsible for reallocating her seat.

“She abused me and abused my mother because of seats. I am a Christian, I sent a private chat to her and urged her to apologise to the Senate and continue,” he added.

Karimi stated that he also reassured her that he could still be of help if she needed any support to reach the leadership of the Senate in a bid to avoid her eventual suspension.

“But, I am aware of her reaction to my message. People who were with her told me how she treated it,” he added.

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