Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is set to return to the Senate on Tuesday following a landmark judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified her six-month suspension as unconstitutional and excessive.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Binta Nyako held that the Senate lacked the constitutional authority to impose the suspension, describing it as a violation of the rights of Kogi Central constituents to representation. She emphasized that extended suspensions without due process compromise democratic principles and flout legislative requirements for minimum attendance.
However, the court also found Akpoti-Uduaghan in contempt for a satirical Facebook post directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The post was deemed a breach of an earlier court order that barred all parties from commenting publicly or on social media regarding the suspension case. As a result, the senator was fined ₦5 million.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, issued in March after a chaotic Senate session over seating disputes, sparked further uproar when she later accused Akpabio of sexual harassment during a televised interview.
In her ruling, Justice Nyako also criticized the Senate’s internal disciplinary procedures, calling for reforms to align them with constitutional protections and the principle of fair hearing.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed gratitude for the ruling and confirmed her intention to resume legislative duties on “by the grace of God.”
