Shakespeare’s classic tragic drama, Romeo and Juliet, has two lines that are of specific relevance to what is happening between the Senate and the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan right now. This is especially so on the heels of the September 4, 2025, letter by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Yahaya Danzaria, in which he declared that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot resume in the Senate even after the expiration of her six-month suspension.
Shakespeare in Act 5, Scene 3 of the play, relayed the conversation between the distraught Romeo and Paris, who had accused Romeo of coming to Juliet’s tomb to do some “villainous shame” to the dead body. He then put the question to Romeo: “Can violence be pursued further than death? The troubled Romeo, who confirmed his readiness to die, did not argue with his accuser. He dealt him a deadly strike and added… “tempt not a desperate man.”
In the unfolding scenario between the Senate and the Kogi Central Senator, Akpoti-Uduaghan would be in the position of Paris, who asked the question: “Can vengeance be pursued further than death?” And in its reply, the Senate would take the position of Romeo (as provided by Danzaria): “Don’t tempt a desperate man!”
The Acting Clerk to the National Assembly had set up the back and forth between Natasha and the Senate when he released the story, indicating that the Kogi Central Senator would not be allowed to resume the plenary even after the expiration of the six-month suspension slammed on her in March 2025. Reports had indicated that Akpoti-Uduaghan had earlier written to the Clerk, to notify the National Assembly of her readiness to resume her functions as a Senator on September 4, a date that should mark the expiration of her suspension.
In his response, Danzaria said: “I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, notifying this office of your intention to resume sitting and other legislative duties in the Senate on the 4th of September 2025, which you claim is the date of expiration of the six-month suspension imposed on you by the Senate.
“I am further directed to inform you that your suspension was with effect from Thursday, 6th March, 2025, and draw your attention to the fact that the subject matter of your suspension is presently before the Court of Appeal.
“The matter, therefore remains sub judice, and until the judicial process is concluded and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in the light of the Court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken by this office to facilitate your resumption.
“You will be duly notified of the Senate’s decision on the matter as soon as it is resolved.”
The above submission perfectly fits Shakespeare’s description of vengeance pursued further than death. Not a few Nigerians have told the National Assembly this fact. Lagos lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, said so and gave instances of similar suspensions that were overturned by the courts in recent times. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has also pointed out the anomaly, while the constituents of the embattled Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan have also written a plea to President Bola Tinubu to stop the Senate’s attempt to keep denying them a voice in the red chamber.
So far, the Senate has remained silent, an indication that it was resting on the submissions by Danzaria. No doubt, doing that will clearly paint the chamber in the words of the ready-to-die Romeo-a desperate man. But did Akpoti-Uduaghan tempt a desperate man contrary to the words of Romeo? Only a deep look into the details of the altercations between her and the Senate would reveal the truth in that. Nevertheless, the submissions by Danzaria are already painting the Senate as a desperate man.
