Without A doubt, Natasha’s Ordeal Buttresses The Fact That Politics Is A Dirty Game (OPINION)
By Isaac Asabor
The recent ordeal of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has once again confirmed a bitter truth: politics in Nigeria is a dirty game where fairness and justice are illusions. With the alleged plot to use fake constituents to recall her from the Senate, it is clear that in the Nigerian political landscape, power is not about service to the people but about manipulation, vendetta, and ruthless ambition.
Aptly put, her ordeal is a case study in political treachery. This is as the revelations by the Action Collective about an alleged plan to compile fictitious names to engineer Senator Natasha’s recall from the Senate expose the depths to which politicians will sink to silence opponents. If true, this is not just an attack on her political career but a demonstration of how Nigeria’s political system operates like a battlefield where enemies are eliminated by any means necessary.
Senator Natasha’s troubles did not start today. At the moment, she was suspended from the Senate for six months over alleged misconduct. Prior to that, she had boldly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment and deliberately frustrating her legislative efforts. That act alone was enough to put her on the list of those who must be politically humiliated. Now, with the alleged recall attempt, it is obvious that her adversaries are determined to ensure she never regains her political footing.
Given the shenanigans that are playing out since her suspension from the Senate, one is in this context tempted to wonder whether the recall process is a tool for political witch-hunting. The reason for the foregoing question cannot be farfetched as ordinarily, a recall should be a legitimate tool for voters to remove a non-performing lawmaker. However, in Nigeria, it has become another weapon in the dirty political arsenal used to settle scores. If these allegations are true, then what is happening to Senator Natasha is nothing but a calculated witch-hunt designed to bench her on the political space.
The claim that a former governor of Kogi State and compromised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been recruited to facilitate this fraudulent process paints a grim picture of how deeply entrenched corruption is in the system. When INEC officials, who should be neutral arbiters, are allegedly being paid to endorse a fake recall process, what hope is there for democracy?
Without a doubt, the reality of Nigerian politics has been blighted with a world of betrayal and conspiracy.
Without any iota of exaggeration, what Senator Natasha is facing is not new in Nigerian politics. Over the years, countless politicians who refused to bow to the system have been politically assassinated, either through impeachment, suspension, false allegations, or outright violence. The truth is that Nigerian politics is not for those who believe in fairness or principles; it is for those who can outmaneuver their enemies in a ruthless game of survival.
In this part of the world, politics is not about service or patriotism. It is about who has the strongest connections, the deepest war chest, and the willingness to play dirty. The rules are simple: crush your enemies before they crush you. Those who try to play clean or speak truth to power, like Senator Natasha, are quickly reminded that honesty is a weakness in this game.
In fact, Senator Natasha’s troubles highlight the risks of being a bold and outspoken politician in Nigeria. As a woman, she already faces the additional burden of gender discrimination in a male-dominated field. Her courage in taking on powerful figures has made her a marked woman, and now, she is paying the price for daring to challenge the establishment.
Her experience is a lesson to any politician who believes that merit, hard work, and the support of the people are enough to survive in Nigerian politics. The reality is that survival depends on playing along with the power brokers who control the system. Those who refuse to play by their rules become casualties of political warfare.
Despite the gravity of these allegations, there has been no massive public outcry. This is because, in Nigeria, political impunity is so normalized that people no longer react to injustice. The silence of civil society, the media, and even the opposition is a testament to how deeply rooted this corrupt system has become.
But this should not be ignored. The credibility of INEC is at stake. If the electoral body allows itself to be used in this alleged fraudulent recall, it will only confirm what many Nigerians already believe, that elections and democratic processes in the country are mere formalities manipulated by those in power.
Given the foregoing, it is not out of place to opine that politics in Nigeria is a dangerous gamble. This is as Senator Natasha’s ordeal is further proof that Nigerian politics is not a game for those who believe in fairness. It is a gamble where the stakes are high, and the players are ruthless. It is a system where those who dare to challenge the status quo are either humiliated or eliminated.
For many young Nigerians who dream of a political career, Natasha’s experience serves as a stark warning. Politics here is not about competence or good intentions; it is about how well one can navigate the treacherous waters of deception, betrayal, and power struggles.
If the allegations surrounding this recall attempt are true, then Nigerian democracy is on life support. When elections, suspensions, and recalls are all tools in the hands of the powerful to destroy their enemies, then the very essence of democracy is lost.
Senator Natasha’s battle is not just her own; it is a fight for every Nigerian who still believes in justice. If she is sent out from the Senate through this alleged fraudulent recall, then it will send a message to every other independent politician that standing up for truth is a crime in Nigeria. In the end, one thing is clear: politics in Nigeria is a dirty game, and only the dirtiest players survive.
