It was a sweet and sour victory for suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central whose six months punitive suspension was quashed by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja but severely sanctioned for violating the order of the court barring both parties from further granting press interviews with a fine of N5,000,000 (Five million Naira) and apologies to the court in two national dailies within seven days.
In a judgement on Friday delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, the court, which described as “excessive, the six months suspension slammed on the lawmaker by the Senate, however declared that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was not wrong to have denied the plaintiff who was not on the official seat that was allotted to her, the opportunity to speak during plenary.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was on March 6, 2025, officially suspended from all legislative activities for six months.
The suspension followed a report submitted by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Bernards Imasuen (Edo South). The report, presented to the Committee of the Whole, cited multiple infractions against the Rules and Orders of the Senate.
The report highlighted that on February 20, 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan caused a rowdy session in the Senate by rejecting an assigned seat and engaging in a shouting match, violating Senate procedures.
The Senate resolved that the suspension would remain in place unless the senator issued a formal written apology. Other sanctions included the vacation of her office for the duration of her suspension and the return of all official properties to the Clerk of the National Assembly.
She and her staff were also barred from entering the National Assembly premises while the suspension remained in effect, while her salaries, allowances, and other entitlements were also suspended.
However, in ordering the embattled senator’s recall, Justice Nyako faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules as well as section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declaring both as overreaching as they failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.
The court held that since lawmakers have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative circle, the six-month suspension handed to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was akin to pushing her away from her responsibilities to her constituents for about 180 days.
Further ruling that though the Senate has the power to punish any of its members who err, the court insisted that such sanction must not be excessive to deprive the constituents of their right to be represented.
Justice Nyako in the same vein dismissed Akpabio’s contention that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit which he claimed bordered on an internal affair of the Senate.