Supporters of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan who stormed the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday, March 5, have been dispersed by the police.
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The protesters had stormed the assembly gate in solidarity for the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, but security operatives deployed tear gas to send them away.
According to a report by Vanguard, the protesters had gathered at the assembly gate as early as 8 a.m. ahead of the resumption of plenary. However, police officers swiftly intervened, firing tear gas canisters to prevent them from accessing the complex.
Following the dispersal, the demonstrators relocated to the Unity Fountain, a common site for protests in the capital.
The protest follows an ongoing dispute between Akpoti-Uduaghan, a PDP lawmaker, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The trouble between the lawmakers began on February 20 over seating arrangements in the Senate chamber, after which Akpoti-Uduaghan was referred to the Senate’s disciplinary committee.
In response, the senator filed a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit against Akpabio.
During an interview aired on Arise TV on Friday, February 28, Akpoti-Uduaghan, stated that her trouble with Akpabio started after she turned down his sexual advances.
“My case is a case of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him,” she stated.
The senator said the sexual advances were made when she and her husband visited Akpabio’s home in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for the senate president’s birthday celebration in December 2023.
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