Bamidele advised Akpoti-Uduaghan to use the six-month suspension period to study the senate rule book, to avoid similar infractions in the future.
The Leader of the Senate, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, has urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to review the recorded phone conversation between him and suspended Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi central)
His call follows Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent interview on Arise Television, where she accused him of threatening her, allegedly saying that if Senate President Godswill Akpabio goes down, she goes down as well.
Addressing the Senate on Thursday, Opeyemi dismissed Natasha’s claims and narrated his own version of the phone conversation.
He said: “I listened to the distinguished Senator Natasha on Arise and I have no regret about what she said about me. She said I called her at exactly 12:13 am.
“I have no regrets. Every move that I made was a characteristic of my person and leadership role in trying to reconcile everybody.”
He detailed how he had approached Akpabio that night, urging him to apologise to Akpoti-Uduaghan over his “night club” remark in the senate chamber.
“I went to the Senate President and when I got there that night I said ‘Sir, tomorrow in the chamber, you’ll have to tender a public apology to distinguished Senator Natasha, I beg you in the name of God because her understanding of what you said is different from how you’re interpreting it, by saying she should not speak as if she was in a night club.
“And you Mr President [addressing Akpabio] explained again that what you meant was that it was only in a nightclub that everybody tries to speak trying to raise their voice above the loud music and I said sir, ‘I understand you but tomorrow you will have to explain that again to her and the other women and apologise to her.
“You said to me, ‘Why is it that you always come to me. Everybody is dragging me on social media, have you called Natasha?’”
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Bamidele said that was when he called Akpoti-Uduaghan at midnight, placing her on speakerphone while in Akpabio’s presence.
“I picked up my phone and called Senator Natasha, placing her on speaker. I called her. I didn’t think 12 am is anytime we shouldn’t be awake as senators.
“When I called her the first thing I said was ‘Distinguished, I’m sorry. Hope I didn’t wake you up? And she said, ‘no sir.’ I said ‘I only called to ask you a question. My dear sister, what would you gain if the Senate President goes down?’”
On claims that he threatened Akpoti-Uduaghan during the call, Opeyemi was unequivocal: “I never said so.”
Bamidele justified the call for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, stating that it was based on her defiance of senate rules and her lack of remorse for her actions.
He further advised the suspended senator to use the six-month suspension period to study the Senate rule book, emphasising that this would help her avoid similar infractions in the future.
