Natasha: NASS, presidency turning Nigeria into Banana Republic, warns Oby Ezekwesili

A former minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has condemned the surreptitious charge filed against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal High Court, on June 16.

Natasha, who had been billed to appear at a Federal Capital Territory High Court on June 19, was unaware that another charge was secretly filed against her at a Federal High Court, until one of her lawyers bumped into the case.

The former minister of education, who also served as minister of Solid Minerals, said the motive for the surreptitious charges was to justify an arrest warrant against Natasha. Ezekwesili said the forces against Natasha had already gotten truck loads of policemen to execute the warrant save for the alert lawyer of Natasha who protested at the court that he was only served the charge some few minutes earlier. The judge later adjourned the case to June 30 for arraignment.

For Oby Ezekwesili, the saga is beyond Natasha. It is the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government versus the Nigerian people.

She accused the presidency and the National Assembly of attempting to reduce Nigeria to a Banana Republic..

She said: “Against all laws of natural and social justice, Nigerians were shocked that the Nigerian government unwisely inserted itself into an already shameless saga in which a Senate President of Nigeria has flagrantly abused his powers and our public institutions to avoid submitting himself to an independent investigation of allegations of sexual harassment.

“The incredulous arraignment of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan before the FCT High Court by the Federal Government for “criminal defamation” of those she accused of sexual harassment and threat to her life has made our society a laughing stock in other countries.

“That case was to be heard on June 3, 2025. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and her legal counsels publicly stated that they were all set for the court proceedings but due to judicial workers’ strikes, the matter was adjourned to June 19, 2025.

“Imagine then how atrocious it was to read yesterday that the same Federal Government again stealthily filed the SAME matter against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan without her knowledge and prior service with the charge this time at the Federal High Court!

“It was that same yesterday June 16th when the subterranean new case against the Senator was being heard by a Judge that one of her legal counsels sighted the charge for the first time and ran into the court to represent Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan! It got worse.

“The FG lawyers – the public prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice- asked the Judge to grant them a bench warrant for the arrest of
@NatashaAkpoti

“And for this purpose, the FG was alleged to have stationed 10 truckloads of police officers outside the court to proceed to her home and execute the perfidy. Arrest Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan?

“Unbelievable that the Federal Government was all set to arrest a woman crying for Fair Hearing, Justice and Safety yesterday on behalf of her traducers.

“What exactly is going on,
@officialABAT? Is there a determination by the @NGRPresident and the @nassnigeria
to reduce Nigeria to a Banana Republic where it is no longer the Rule of Law but the “Rule of Men who Destructively Rigged our Elections” to sit in unearned public offices and ruin our country?

“Well, the persistent repression of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has transformed her into a Symbol of millions of Nigerians who are daily intimidated, trampled and crushed into SILENCE for daring to speak up, by a callous political class of this country.

“It is why this atrocious series of injustices being perpetrated against Senator @NatashaAkpoti and now tragically led by the
@NigeriaGov has turned all REASONABLE NIGERIANS into: Senator. Natasha. Akpoti. Uduaghan. Will. Not. Walk. Alone.

“This saga is now #BeyondSenatorNatasha. The 2 criminal cases filed against her should now be considered as: The Federal Government of Nigeria led by
@officialABAT Versus The Nigerian People.

“Bring it on.”