Politics
Senator Natasha: ‘It doesn’t matter where you’re from’ – Saraki slams Akpabio, clarifies ‘removal’ comment

Published
6 days agoon
By
Ekwutos Blog
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has slammed the incumbent Senate President, Godswill Akpabio for saying he (Saraki) wants a Niger Delta person removed from the office of the Senate President.
Saraki said that the earlier call he made to Akpabio to ensure that transparent and open process was instituted to investigate the accusation levelled against him by one of his colleagues, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has been misinterpreted to mean an attempt to remove him (Akpabio).
Saraki made his points clearer in a statement signed by the head of his media office, Yusuph Olaniyonu.
The former national assembly leader urged the incumbent Senate President to read his press statement dated March 1st, 2025, very well to understand that there was nowhere he suggested the resignation of the Senate President.
Addressing some youth ethnic groups on Friday, Akpabio had claimed that certain individuals from Kwara and Adamawa States want him removed because he is from the Niger Delta region.
Saraki saw the remark as a way of politicising and trivialising a serious issue that threatens the integrity, credibility, and importance of the legislature, accusing the Senate President of creating a misleading impression of the issue at stake.
“Dr. Saraki in his last comment on the Akpabio-Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan crisis never called on the Senate President to resign or step aside,” the statement clarified.
He added: “rather, he urged the Senate President to be conscious of the fact that perception is reality and therefore he should avoid treating the allegations by the Senator in a manner that will create the perception that the Senate as an institution is trying to cover up issues bothering on sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office.
“Also, Dr. Saraki made it clear that his intervention was neither about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan nor whether her claim was right or not. He stated that since the Senator has gone public with such serious allegations against the presiding officer, the image of the institution should be saved through an honest, sincere, open, transparent, and unbiased investigation.
“In that press statement, he also pointed out that there are already existing processes recommended in the Constitution, laws of the land, Senate rules, conventions, and precedents to be followed in carrying out such investigation.
“Again, Dr. Saraki is of the firm belief that his suggestions are for the benefit of the legislative institution. So, he will repeat the same suggestion no matter where the Senate President comes from and whichever party he belongs to.
“It is not because the incumbent is a member of the APC, that the former Senate President is from the PDP or that the former is from the South-South zone while the latter is from the North Central zone. Far from it. It is disingenuous and crude to describe Dr. Saraki’s comment along those primordial lines.
“This issue is definitely not one in which Akpabio should exploit ethnic sentiments, political division, or regional proclivity. This will neither be in his own interest or that of the institution over which he is presiding. He should face the reality on ground and do what is right.
“The former Senate President believes that when a sensitive matter suggesting sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and mistreatment of women comes up anywhere, it evokes the pains that thousands of women across the nooks and crannies of our society experience daily. Thus, when it is raised in a place like the legislative institution, it is an opportunity for us to handle it with utmost openness and transparency to ensure that justice is not only done but glaringly seen to be done.
“Once again, Dr. Saraki stands by and maintains his earlier suggestion to Akpabio and the Senate leadership on the allegations raised by the Senator from Kogi State.
“An open, transparent, and honest investigation of the allegations is still needed to ensure that the Senate is not cast in the image of an institution that is tolerant of sexual harassment, gender bias, victimisation and mistreatment of women, abuse of office, and enthronement of the culture of silence.
“By having such an investigation, the general public and the international community will have more confidence in our legislative institution.
“People like Dr. Saraki have made huge sacrifices in defending the integrity of the legislative institution and will not desist in speaking up for the right thing to be done. May God bless our institutions and our country”.
Ekwutosblog reported that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had rejected a new sitting position allocated to her by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, dominated Senate.
The dispute then escalated when Natasha appeared on national television and accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
The Senate President has since denied the claim.
Natasha was then suspended from the Senate for six months. During this period, the lawmaker is not expected to receive salaries for herself and her staff.
Her suspension on Thursday followed an official petition she submitted to the Senate on the alleged sexual harassment by Akpabio.

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Politics
Here are the three bills passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly on March 14, 2025

Published
21 minutes agoon
March 15, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
1. Rivers State House of Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Bill, 2025
Purpose: To grant the House powers, privileges, and immunity to perform its legislative duties.
2. Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Bill, 2025
Purpose: To repeal the existing State Electoral Law of 2018 and re-enact a new law to establish, define the composition, and outline the functions of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
3. Rivers State Local Government Bill, 2025
Purpose: To repeal the State’s Local Government Laws of 2018, 2023, and 2024, and re-enact a new law for the administration of Local Government Councils.
These bills were passed during the 136th Legislative Sitting and have been forwarded to the Governor of Rivers State for assent.
Politics
VIDEO: Fubara is already down, more to come for him — Wike boasts

Published
60 minutes agoon
March 15, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is already losing political ground in the state.
Wike, speaking at a grand reception held in his honour by the Kalabari people in Abalama, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday, criticised the governor’s choice of allies, saying that Fubara is surrounded by individuals who had previously harboured governorship ambitions.
According to him, he refused to approve Fubara’s alliance with those individuals because he knew they had no good intentions for the people of Rivers State.
The minister declared that Governor Fubara was already down politically and boasted that more setbacks were awaiting him.
He said, “You (Fubara) surround yourself with people who wanted to be governor, to whom I said ‘no, these people don’t mean well for Rivers State.’ They are the ones surrounding you, giving you advice.
“Do you think you will succeed? They will give you bad advice and look at what bad advice is doing to you. You are already down 2-0, and there’s more to come. I have never seen this type of politics where you surround yourself with those who want your seat.”
This comes a few days after Wike said nothing catastrophic would occur if the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule, proceeds with the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike stated that there was nothing unusual about a state legislature removing a sitting governor over alleged impeachable offences, including claims that Fubara withheld lawmakers’ salaries for several months.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart said, “If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution. Am I a member of the Assembly?
“If you have committed an infraction of the constitution and the Assembly deems it fit to say, you should be impeached.
“I have heard people say: ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order. ’ Rubbish! Nothing will happen.”
Wike also dismissed suggestions that the Assembly was acting in bad faith, noting that if the lawmakers were not interested in peace, they would have embarked on a six-month recess after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the state’s political crisis.
See the video below:
Politics
“I’m not a fraudster”, Hope UZODINMA media aide Ambrose Nwaogwugwu affirms

Published
2 hours agoon
March 15, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Governor Hope UZODINMA Senior Special Assistant on creative media have narrated part of his history and travails in politics and media, in his Facebook page he stated “I joined Facebook in 2010, started following current affairs in 2011, and began writing about politics in 2012. Since then, I have remained consistent to this day.
I was awarded “The Most Vibrant and Social Media Informer of the Year” by Imo Social Media Searchlight Concept, an event organized by Mc Tboy Samuel and his boss, MC Banana Mouth….the first in Imo state social media community.
Same year, April 2014, I received my first political appointment as a media consultant to the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu (may God continue to rest his beautiful soul).
This marks 15 years on Facebook and 13 years of political engagement here. And in all these years, not a single person can claim that Ambrose Nwaogwugwu has defrauded them of even 1 kobo.
When you mention my name, people may call me all sorts of things—praise singer, sycophant, data boy, or even Uzodimma’s slave—and I wear these names as a badge of honor. However, no one can associate my name with any form of scam or fraud.
Were it not for politics, my name would have remained completely unblemished. But in life, one must be known for something. Nevertheless, if my name is mentioned in my absence, it will never be linked to fraud or dishonesty.
You are defined by how people speak of you in your absence, not by what they say when you are present.
I urge young people to be cautious in their dealings and avoid anything that could tarnish their reputation. There are individuals whose names, when mentioned, immediately bring to mind multiple accusations of fraud and scam—and when several people say the same thing, they can’t all be wrong.
Young people must do better.
I was raised with the fear of God, and I have always refrained from anything that could bring dishonor to my name. While growing up, my mother constantly reminded us that our name is NWAOGWUGWU, a prestigious name that must never be stained….that out name is not good in mkporo ghieghie (whilstling). She emphasized that stealing, fraud, and deception are not in our lineage—a principle I uphold to this day.
Apart from politics, no human born of a woman can accuse me of any wrongdoing.
Young people must strive for a better way of life.
Yes, times are tough, but there is dignity in honest labor. Defrauding and scamming others is not labor—it makes you nothing but a thief.” he said

Stop Igbo persecution, release Chukwu Sunday Obasi – Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Ejimakor

Here are the three bills passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly on March 14, 2025

VIDEO: Fubara is already down, more to come for him — Wike boasts
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