Legal analyst and constitutional lawyer, Frank Tietie, in an interview with Arise News on Sunday, July 6, 2025, has sharply criticized the perceived politicization of justice in the suspension case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, declaring that constitutional rights cannot be subjected to personal apologies or internal power dynamics within the legislature.
Reacting to the Federal High Court’s declaration that the senator’s six-month suspension was excessive, Tietie faulted the lack of clarity in the ruling, stating that it has left Nigerians in a state of confusion. However, he expressed stronger concern over the deeper implications of the situation.
“You cannot reduce the Nigerian Constitution to just an apology,” Tietie said, referencing reports that the senator might be reinstated if she tenders an apology.
According to him, the issue at stake is not just about Natasha but about the right of an entire senatorial district to be represented. He warned that tying that right to an apology undermines the very essence of democracy and dangerously elevates personal egos above constitutional guarantees.
Tietie argued that political power must have boundaries and that when it is abused, the judiciary must provide decisive redress. He insisted that any ruling or process that makes a citizen’s constitutional right to representation conditional upon apologizing to more powerful political figures is a direct assault on democratic principles.
“Apologies to who? To certain men? To the Senate leadership? Is that what will now restore representation to the people of Kogi Central?” he queried.
He concluded that Nigeria must not allow democratic representation to be reduced to a tool of retribution or ego management within the corridors of power. The Constitution, he stressed, is not a favor granted by politicians, it is a binding instrument of justice that must remain above personal sentiment.
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