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SHOWDOWN LOOMS IN SENATE TUESDAY AS NATASHA VOWS TO RETURN
Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has declared her intention to storm the red chamber on Tuesday despite the Senate’s refusal to recognise the ruling that nullified her six-month suspension.
Addressing her jubilant supporters in a video that has since gone viral, Akpoti-Uduaghan said;
“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.”
Her vow comes after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday nullified her suspension, describing it as “excessive, unconstitutional, and an infringement on the rights of her constituents.”
Delivering judgment, Justice Binta Nyako ruled that the six-month suspension slammed on the lawmaker by the Senate was excessive and faulted the relevant sections of the Senate Standing Rules and the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, describing them as “overreaching.” The court stressed that since lawmakers are constitutionally required to sit for 181 days in every legislative year, suspending a senator for six months is effectively tantamount to disenfranchising their constituents.
“Though the Senate has the power to punish any of its members who err, such sanction must not be excessive to deprive the constituents of their right to be represented.”
The court also dismissed Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s argument that the matter was purely an internal affair outside the court’s jurisdiction.
However, the judgment was not all in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s favour.
Nyako imposed a N5 million fine on the senator for contempt of court over a satirical Facebook post she made while an interim injunction was still in place. In the controversial post, Akpoti-Uduaghan issued what the court described as a “mock apology” to Senate President Akpabio an act the court held violated its gag order restraining parties from making public comments on the case.
The court therefore ordered her to publish a public apology in two national dailies and repost it on her Facebook page within seven days.
We won’t allow you , Senate Insists
Despite the ruling, the Senate has signalled that Senator Natasha may not be welcomed back just yet.
In an official statement released in Abuja on Sunday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said the upper legislative chamber acknowledges the judgment but has not been served with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling.
Adaramodu stated; “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria acknowledges that judgment was delivered on July 4th by the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the suit instituted by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. However, the Senate is yet to be served with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the said judgment.”
He explained that the CTC was necessary for the Senate to thoroughly review the decision and decide on its next steps;
“Our legal representatives, who were in attendance at the proceedings, confirmed that the complete judgment was not read in open court. Consequently, we have formally applied for the CTC to enable a thorough review and informed determination of the appropriate legal response, particularly in view of the uncertainty surrounding whether the court made any direct order nullifying the suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.”
Emphasising the Senate’s legal caution, Adaramodu declared;
“Since no party to the case has been officially served the enrolled order of the judgment, none can enforce any perceived order or relief.”
He added that the Senate remains committed to due process and the rule of law, but will not take any action that could “prejudice its legal position” until it has received and studied the certified court order.
THE fall out between Natasha and the Senate;
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s troubles began in March when she was suspended for six months following a heated plenary session where she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment allegations that triggered uproar within the red chamber.
The suspension sparked outrage among civil society groups and human rights organisations, who described the sanction as a deliberate attempt to silence a dissenting voice and disenfranchise Kogi Central constituents.
She subsequently sued the Senate, its leadership, and Akpabio, arguing that her suspension violated her fundamental rights and was unconstitutional.
The Federal High Court’s ruling, which reinstates the lawmaker and rebukes the Senate’s disciplinary procedure, has now set the stage for a dramatic showdown at tomorrow’s plenary.
While Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to reclaim her seat, Senate leadership appears ready to block her until it receives the certified judgment. The standoff has fuelled speculation about whether she will be physically prevented from entering the red chamber, and how security operatives within the National Assembly complex might handle the situation.
