Natasha Set to Resume Senate Duties on Tuesday Following Court Verdict
Natasha Set to Resume Senate Duties on Tuesday Following Court Verdict
The suspended senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, announced that she will return to her legislative duties in the Senate on Tuesday, following a court ruling ordering her reinstatement.
In a video that circulated widely on social media on Sunday, the lawmaker expressed gratitude to her supporters for their unwavering backing.
“I appreciate your support and I am delighted by our victory today. By the grace of God, we will resume our work in the Senate on Tuesday,” she stated.
Her comment followed Friday’s judgment by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which declared her six-month suspension from the Senate as unconstitutional, excessive, and a violation of her constituents’ rights to representation.
Justice Binta Nyako, who presided over the matter, ruled that the suspension lacked constitutional backing and ordered the immediate reinstatement of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The court, however, also found the senator guilty of contempt for a Facebook post described as a satirical apology addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The court ruled that the senator’s social media post violated an interim injunction issued on March 4, 2025, which prohibited any public or social media comments regarding the ongoing case challenging her suspension.
Justice Nyako fined the senator ₦5 million for breaching the court order with the post.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March following a contentious plenary session that became chaotic due to disagreements over seating arrangements.
The situation escalated days later when she publicly accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment during a live television interview.
In her judgment, Justice Nyako highlighted that the senator’s prolonged suspension was procedurally improper and effectively denied the people of Kogi Central their constitutional right to representation.
She noted that the constitution mandates lawmakers to attend at least 181 sitting days per legislative year and warned that extended suspensions without proper due process weaken democratic governance.
The court also criticized the Senate’s disciplinary procedures, urging the National Assembly to reform its internal regulations to align with constitutional standards and ensure fair hearings.
