Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan set to resume legislative duties following court ruling

Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, has announced she will return to the Senate on Tuesday.

Her resumption follows a court order mandating her recall to the Red Chamber.

In a video shared on social media that began trending Sunday, the lawmaker expressed gratitude to her supporters for their unwavering 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.

Her decision to resume at the Senate 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.

Persecondnews had reported that Justice Binta Nyako, who presided over the case, 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 post, the court held, violated an interim injunction issued on March 4, 2025, barring parties from making public or social media comments on the ongoing suit challenging her suspension.

Nyako imposed a N5 million fine on the senator for the post, which was deemed to have breached the court’s order.

Persecondnews recalls that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March after a controversial plenary session that turned rowdy over disagreements about seating arrangements in the chamber.

Days later, the controversy deepened when she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment during a live television interview

In her ruling, Justice Nyako said the extended suspension of the senator was not only procedurally flawed but also deprived the people of Kogi Central of their constitutional right to representation.

She pointed out that lawmakers are required by the constitution to attend at least 181 sitting days in a legislative year and warned that long suspensions without due process undermine democratic governance.

The court also criticised the Senate’s disciplinary processes, urging the National Assembly to review its internal rules to conform with constitutional principles and ensure fair hearing.