The Senate has outlined specific conditions that must be fulfilled before Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan can be reinstated, despite a Federal High Court ruling that nullified her six-month suspension.
Justice Binta Nyako, in a judgment delivered on Friday in Abuja, ruled that the suspension of the Kogi Central senator was excessive and ordered the Senate to reinstate her. “The court is not saying that the Senate lacks the power to sanction a member. However, such sanctions must not negate the constitutional right of constituents to be represented in parliament,” the judge said.
The senator was suspended in March over alleged gross misconduct following a confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio regarding the chamber’s seating arrangement. The rift escalated when Akpoti-Uduaghan, during a televised interview, accused Akpabio of punishing her for rejecting his alleged sexual advances—a claim the Senate President has since denied.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan, a Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker, filed a lawsuit (FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025), challenging her suspension.
Justice Nyako ruled that provisions in Chapter Eight of the Senate Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act were overreaching, as they failed to define a maximum suspension period. She noted that suspending a senator for 180 days—nearly the entire 181-day legislative calendar—effectively denied the Kogi Central constituency representation.
However, while granting her relief on the suspension, Justice Nyako found the senator guilty of contempt of court for a satirical Facebook post made on April 27, which she deemed related to the pending case.
The court ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a formal apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page within seven days. A fine of N5 million was also imposed.
Despite the court’s ruling, the Senate has insisted that reinstatement will not be automatic. Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu stated, “The court has not ousted the Senate’s statutory right to punish any erring senator. It was established that the senator in question erred.
The court has already told her to go and do some things, like restitution. So after the restitution, the Senate will now sit again and consider the content of that restitution, and that will inform our next line of action.”
Adaramodu emphasized that the ball is now in the senator’s court. “The onus is no more on us now; it is already on her doorstep to go and apologise. Once she does that, then the Senate will sit and determine how to deal with her matter,” he added.
Addressing the media, Senate counsel Paul Dauda, SAN, described the court’s decision as a partial victory for the Senate, particularly on the issue of contempt. “The first application filed by the Senate, that no social media posts should have been made, was decided in our favour.
The court directed that the satirical apology be taken down and that a proper apology be published in two national dailies,” Dauda said. He further emphasized that “damages of five million naira were awarded to be paid to the court.”
Dauda clarified that the court did not issue a direct order for reinstatement. “There was no relief asking for the suspension to be lifted. The judge only made what we call an obiter dictum, a non-binding remark, that the suspension may have been excessive. We will consult with our colleagues, read the full judgment, and respond accordingly,” he explained.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar commended the court’s decision and praised Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for challenging what he described as an unjust suspension. In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Atiku said, “I commend Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the courage in lifting the obnoxious suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central). I also hail Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan for challenging the illegality of her suspension by not sleeping on her rights in a chamber where women are already vulnerable.”
He concluded, “No price should be too high to pay in the pursuit of justice and the assertion of one’s rights.”
