Abuja, Nigeria – In a dramatic legal twist, the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from her six-month suspension, declaring the penalty as unduly excessive and a violation of the constitutional rights of her constituents in Kogi Central.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Binta Nyako stated that the length of the suspension unjustly deprived the people of Kogi Central of representation in the Senate. She advised the upper chamber to review its internal rules on sanctions to ensure fairness and proportionality in disciplinary actions.
Court Rebukes Senate, But Fines Natasha N5 Million for Contempt
While the ruling was in favour of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall, the court also found the senator guilty of contempt for violating a previous order. Justice Nyako cited a satirical Facebook post published by the senator on April 27, 2025, in which she offered a sarcastic apology to the Senate—an act the court said flouted an earlier gag order issued on April 4 prohibiting public commentary on the case.
As a result, the court fined Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan the sum of N5 million and ordered her to publish an unreserved public apology in two national newspapers within seven days. Additionally, she must issue the same apology on her verified Facebook page within two days.
Background to the Suspension
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, for alleged gross misconduct and violation of Senate standing rules. The suspension followed her reported refusal to occupy a newly reassigned seat during a plenary session on February 20—a move the Senate regarded as a serious breach of parliamentary decorum.
The embattled senator subsequently dragged the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Neda Imasuen—Chairman of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions—before the court to challenge the suspension.
Originally scheduled for June 27, the judgment was postponed to July 4, culminating in the current mixed ruling.
Separate Legal Trouble Looms
This court judgment is separate from another ongoing legal battle facing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was recently granted bail in a cybercrime-related case. Legal observers suggest that this new ruling may further complicate her political and legal profile as the 2027 general elections draw near.
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