Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, ruling that her six-month suspension from the National Assembly was excessive and unconstitutional.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Nyako declared that the Senate had overreached its powers by relying on Chapter 8 of its Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act to suspend the lawmaker.
The judge held that while the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, such sanctions must not be excessive to the point of denying constituents their right to representation.
The court noted that legislators are constitutionally mandated to sit for 181 days in each legislative year. Therefore, a six-month suspension effectively excludes a senator from nearly the entire legislative calendar, undermining democratic representation.
Justice Nyako further ruled that Senate President Godswill Akpabio did not act wrongly in denying Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan the opportunity to speak during plenary, as she was not seated in her officially designated spot. However, the court ordered the senator to offer an apology to the Senate for her
In a related development, Justice Nyako also found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt of court for violating an earlier restraining order against public commentary on the case.
The contempt charge stemmed from a satirical Facebook post made by the senator on April 27, 2025, directed at Senate President Akpabio. The Senate President filed an application arguing that the post breached a court order prohibiting media or social media commentary on the matter.
Though the senator’s legal team argued that the post referred to a separate issue involving sexual harassment allegations and not her suspension, the court disagreed.
After reviewing the evidence, Justice Nyako ruled that the post was connected to the suspension case and held the senator in contempt.
The court ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish a formal apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days. A fine of ₦5 million was also imposed.
Meanwhile, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently facing two additional cases — one involving cybercrime and another on defamation both pending in separate courts in Abuja.
* Source: FRCN
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