Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi) on Tuesday gained access to her office at the Senate wing of the National Assembly, vowing not to apologize for what she described as her resistance to injustice.
She spoke with journalists shortly after her office was unsealed by an official of the Sergeant-at-Arms. The federal lawmaker, however, noted that she would keep further comments reserved for now, as some issues were still pending.
“I am going to be quite limited with what I’ll say. In the weeks to come, I will have much to say,” she told reporters.
According to her, she had not been officially communicated on conditions attached to her resumption. She said her concern stemmed from reports suggesting that a motion may be raised calling on her to tender an apology.
“So, I am actually worried as to what apology they expect from me. You can’t apologize for an injustice,” she said.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that her suspension was unjust and insisted she would not apologize as a precondition for resuming her legislative duties.
Reflecting on her recent experiences, she said she and her supporters had endured many challenges during the period of her suspension but expressed gratitude to the people of Kogi Central, her family, and her colleagues who stood by her.
“In everything, it just shows that sometimes it’s good to put the institutions to test. We can’t be cowed in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us,” she said.
She further urged Nigerians not to give up on the country despite its challenges, expressing confidence that there was “light at the end of the tunnel.”
Live Like You’ll Die Tomorrow: A Call for African Leaders to Let Their Good Work Speak
There is a popular quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi that says: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” It’s a profound reminder of the urgency of purpose, and a wake-up call to those in positions of influence, especially African leaders.
Too often, power is mistaken for permanence. Many African heads of state and high-ranking officials operate under the illusion that their time in office is eternal — amassing vast fortunes, securing their lineage, and building political empires meant to outlive them. But the truth is simple and inescapable: tomorrow is promised to no one.
Let Your Good Work Speak
History does not remember the wealth a man left behind. It remembers his impact.
When Nelson Mandela is mentioned, no one talks about how much he left for his children. Instead, the world speaks of his sacrifice, vision, and leadership. His good work — not his wealth — is what made him immortal in the hearts of millions.
On the other hand, there are leaders across the continent whose names are remembered for corruption, greed, and mismanagement. They died with bloated bank accounts and bankrupt legacies. The wealth they hoarded either vanished in legal battles or was squandered by generations who did not understand its value.
The Folly of Stockpiling Wealth for Future Generations
It is wise to provide for one’s children — but it is unwise to do so at the expense of a whole nation.
Across Africa, leaders stash billions in foreign banks, while hospitals remain without basic equipment, roads are death traps, and youth unemployment soars. These leaders justify their actions by claiming they’re “securing the future” for their families. But what future can your family enjoy in a country that you helped ruin?
True legacy is not measured in how much wealth you pass on — it is measured in the opportunities you create, the systems you strengthen, and the lives you improve.
Leadership as a Temporary Assignment
Power is a privilege, not a possession. African leaders must begin to see leadership not as a throne to sit on forever, but as a temporary assignment to serve, uplift, and leave a lasting positive mark.
Live like you’re going to die tomorrow. Govern with urgency. Make bold, courageous decisions. Invest in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Create institutions that work beyond your time in office. That is the kind of inheritance worth leaving — not billions hidden offshore.
What Future Will You Be Part Of?
In a continent blessed with abundant natural and human resources, the tragedy is not in what we lack, but in what we waste — especially time, potential, and purpose.
African leaders have a choice: to be remembered for greed or for greatness. To leave behind dusty mansions or vibrant legacies. To hoard wealth or to serve with vision and integrity.
Let your good work speak. For in the end, no bank account follows you to the grave — only the echo of what you did with the time you had.
If you’re in leadership today, the question is not how much you can take — but how much you can give before you’re gone.
Live Like You’ll Die Tomorrow: A Call for African Leaders to Let Their Good Work Speak
There is a popular quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi that says: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” It’s a profound reminder of the urgency of purpose, and a wake-up call to those in positions of influence, especially African leaders.
Too often, power is mistaken for permanence. Many African heads of state and high-ranking officials operate under the illusion that their time in office is eternal — amassing vast fortunes, securing their lineage, and building political empires meant to outlive them. But the truth is simple and inescapable: tomorrow is promised to no one.
Let Your Good Work Speak
History does not remember the wealth a man left behind. It remembers his impact.
When Nelson Mandela is mentioned, no one talks about how much he left for his children. Instead, the world speaks of his sacrifice, vision, and leadership. His good work — not his wealth — is what made him immortal in the hearts of millions.
On the other hand, there are leaders across the continent whose names are remembered for corruption, greed, and mismanagement. They died with bloated bank accounts and bankrupt legacies. The wealth they hoarded either vanished in legal battles or was squandered by generations who did not understand its value.
The Folly of Stockpiling Wealth for Future Generations
It is wise to provide for one’s children — but it is unwise to do so at the expense of a whole nation.
Across Africa, leaders stash billions in foreign banks, while hospitals remain without basic equipment, roads are death traps, and youth unemployment soars. These leaders justify their actions by claiming they’re “securing the future” for their families. But what future can your family enjoy in a country that you helped ruin?
True legacy is not measured in how much wealth you pass on — it is measured in the opportunities you create, the systems you strengthen, and the lives you improve.
Leadership as a Temporary Assignment
Power is a privilege, not a possession. African leaders must begin to see leadership not as a throne to sit on forever, but as a temporary assignment to serve, uplift, and leave a lasting positive mark.
Live like you’re going to die tomorrow. Govern with urgency. Make bold, courageous decisions. Invest in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Create institutions that work beyond your time in office. That is the kind of inheritance worth leaving — not billions hidden offshore.
What Future Will You Be Part Of?
In a continent blessed with abundant natural and human resources, the tragedy is not in what we lack, but in what we waste — especially time, potential, and purpose.
African leaders have a choice: to be remembered for greed or for greatness. To leave behind dusty mansions or vibrant legacies. To hoard wealth or to serve with vision and integrity.
Let your good work speak. For in the end, no bank account follows you to the grave — only the echo of what you did with the time you had.
If you’re in leadership today, the question is not how much you can take — but how much you can give before you’re gone.