Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, has announced she will resume legislative duties on Tuesday, following a court judgment nullifying her suspension.
Addressing jubilant supporters in a video circulating on social media, the Kogi Central lawmaker expressed gratitude for their steadfast backing. “I thank you for your support. I am glad we are victorious today. We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God,” she said.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja last Friday ruled that her six-month suspension from the Senate was excessive, unconstitutional, and a violation of the rights of her constituents. The court ordered her immediate reinstatement.
The court, however, imposed a N5 million fine on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for contempt, citing a Facebook post she made that breached an earlier court injunction.
Justice Binta Nyako held that the post — a satirical apology directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio — contravened a March 4, 2025 interim injunction barring parties from making public statements or social media posts concerning the case.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March following a rowdy plenary session where she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment — a development that triggered the legal battle over her suspension. Vanguard