Niger Delta’s Own Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Fights for Voice as Senate Defers Controversial Law
In a fiery Senate plenary on October 21, 2025, a tense standoff erupted between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Niger Delta’s own Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) during a heated debate over the Criminal Code Amendment Bill. The bill, which sailed through the House and seeks to jack up penalties for aiding abortions from three to ten years’ imprisonment, sparked fierce exchanges, exposing deep divides over women’s health and moral flashpoints. For the Niger Delta, where access to maternal care is a life-or-death gamble amid oil-soaked poverty, Natasha’s silenced plea resonates as a rallying cry for women’s voices in a male-heavy chamber.
The bill, presented by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, aims to align Nigeria’s Criminal Code with “contemporary social, moral, and medical realities.” But senators like Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) fired back, warning that blanket bans could doom women needing life-saving abortions. Mustapha cited medical and religious exemptions; Ningi feared doctors shying from critical interventions. Akpabio, sensing a powder keg, shelved the bill, tossing it to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters for a two-week review.
Enter Natasha, fresh off a six-month suspension and one of only two women in the plenary. “I am a woman, and abortion has to do with women. It is very important, sir,” she urged, pleading to weigh in. But Akpabio, backed by Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s rulebook jab (Rule 52, Subsection 6), slammed the gavel, ruling her “out of order.” Oshiomhole’s logic? Reopening debate post-ruling would break Senate protocol, demanding equal mic time for all. Natasha, undeterred, told journalists post-plenary: “I’m disappointed I wasn’t allowed to speak about an issue that concerns women.” A mother herself, she vowed to fight at committee stage, amplifying Niger Delta’s stake in maternal health.
For Delta women – battling 30% maternal mortality spikes in flood-prone Bayelsa or underfunded Rivers clinics – Natasha’s stand is personal. Abortion debates aren’t abstract here; they’re tied to botched backstreet procedures and hospital deserts. Her silencing, post-suspension (with a June 27 court date looming), fuels cries of patriarchy stifling South-South voices. Will the committee hear her out, or is this another Abuja shutout?
Niger Delta Herald sees a spark: Natasha’s defiance could ignite broader demands for women’s health equity. As the bill’s fate hangs, share your story – Delta moms, midwives, anyone. Is this law a lifeline or a noose?
