Natasha: Nigeria Deserves Better – Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo

By Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo (BOS)

It is indeed a national embarrassment that in a chamber that prides itself as the “upper house” of the Nigerian legislature, a motion as humane and urgent as the call to rescue our women suffering in Libyan prisons could not find a seconding voice among supposed representatives of the people. What happened on the Senate floor is not just a mild drama; it is a reflection of how far we have fallen as a nation morally, politically, and institutionally.

When lawmakers allow partisanship, ego, and petty rivalries to overshadow their sense of humanity, then democracy itself becomes hollow. What Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan raised was not a political motion; it was a humanitarian appeal, a cry for justice for helpless Nigerian women enduring unspeakable horrors abroad. Any senator with an ounce of conscience should have seconded that motion without hesitation, regardless of political alignment.

But what did we witness instead? Deafening silence. A silence that screamed cowardice. A silence that exposed the decay within the legislative conscience of our nation. Those elected to speak for the voiceless chose to hide behind political fears afraid of being “seen” to support someone from the opposition. What does that say about our lawmakers? That they value party lines above national interest? That they would rather guard their political images than protect the dignity of Nigerian women?

This is the tragedy of our current leadership class a group more interested in self-preservation than in service. When compassion becomes partisan, the nation loses its soul. When the plight of suffering citizens becomes a political risk, we are no longer led by patriots but by opportunists.

We must, however, commend the Senate Leader for standing up for what is right. It takes courage to rise above party divides and embrace the truth. Leadership is not about which side of the aisle you sit on, but about the values you stand for. Today, he stood on the side of humanity, justice, and conscience and for that, Nigerians salute him.

The time has come for us as citizens to demand more from those who sit in the hallowed chambers of our National Assembly. We must remind them that they were not elected to serve their parties, but to serve the Nigerian people all Nigerians, at home and abroad. Our lawmakers must rediscover the moral compass that once guided statesmen of integrity and courage. Because until they do, the cries of our people from the deserts of Libya to the streets of Nigeria will continue to echo unanswered.

Nigeria deserves better. Our women deserve better. And history will remember those who chose silence in the face of suffering and those few who dared to speak for the voiceless.