Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District, forces her way to resume duty at the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 citing a Federal High Court judgement that reinstated her, but the upper legislative chamber resists her move
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s efforts to return to the Senate to resume her duty of law-making midway into her six months suspension met a brick wall on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The suspended Senator and her supporters had stormed the National Assembly for her return but were resisted at the gates by the security, resulting in their forced entrance into the National Assembly premises.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had earlier ruled that her suspension was “excessive” while it also advised the Senate to reconsider its action and possibly recall her. The same court further fined Akpoti-Uduaghan the sum of N5 million for contempt and ordered her to publish an apology to the Senate in two national dailies and on her Facebook page. These conditions she was yet to meet before her attempted resumption on the said day.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6, 2025 for six months for breaching the Senate rules. The suspension came amid her claims of sexual harassment against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio. But she had announced her planned resumption on Saturday, July 9, 2025 during an empowerment programme she attended in her Ihima hometown in Kogi State.
Announcing the planned resumption, she had said, “I have pretty much two months more before the six months expire. However, I have written to the Senate again telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd which is Tuesday, by the special grace of God.
“I will be there because the court did make the decision on that. Now they argue that it’s an order-it’s not an order, but it is a decision”.
In responding to her prior information to the Senate before the planned resumption, the upper chamber of the National Assembly had warned Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to steer clear of the Senate because it had not received any such order from the court to reinstate her.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, July 20, 2025 by the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramola, the Senate said, “The Senate wishes to reaffirm, for the third time, that there is no subsisting court order mandating it to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan before the expiration of her suspension.
This clarification becomes necessary following the circulating claims by the suspended Senator that she intends to resume at Senate next Tuesday based on misinterpretation of the recent judgement delivered by Hon. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“It will be recalled that the Senate had through my office issued two public statements following the judgement and the subsequent release of the Certified True Copy of the Enrolled Order.
“In both statements, we made it unequivocally clear that the judgement did not contain any positive or mandatory order directing the Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan prior to the end of her suspension.
“Rather, the honourable court gave a non-binding advisory urging the Senate to consider amending its Standing Orders and reviewing the suspension which it opined might be excessive.
“The court, however, explicitly held that the Senate did not breach any law or constitutional provision in imposing the disciplinary measure based on the Senator’s misconduct during plenary.
“Furthermore, the court found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt of court and imposed penalties, including a fine of N5 million payable to the Federal Government, and a mandatory apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page. Till date, these directives remain uncomplied with.
“It is, therefore, surprising and legally untenable that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, while on appeal and having filed a motion for stay against the valid and binding orders made against her, is attempting to act upon an imaginary order of recall that does not exist.
“The Senate emphasizes once more: There is no enforceable order directing her immediate return to the chamber.
“We advise the distinguished Senator to refrain from any attempt to storm the Senate next Tuesday under a false pretext, as doing so would not only be premature but also undermine the dignity of the Senate and violate due process.
“The Senate, as a law-abiding institution, is committed to upholding the rule of law and the integrity of its proceedings.
“The Senate will, at the appropriate time, consider the advisory opinion of the court on both amending the Standing Orders of the Senate, her recall, and communicate same thereof to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“Until then, she is respectfully advised to stay away from the Senate chambers and allow due process to run its full course”.
In contempt of the Senate’s warning against her attempted resumption, Akpoti-Uduaghan made good her planned to resume plenary whereupon she was resisted at the gates by the security.
The embattled Senator and her followers, including activist Aisha Yesufu, stormed the National Assembly entrance to meet locked gates. They marched from the first checkpoint to the main entrance only to meet reinforced security barricades and police vehicles.
Fuming over the blockade, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she would not apologize to the Senate. “There is no just reason why these gates should not be open. I will not apologize for something I didn’t do. I’m a law-abiding citizen. We’ll seek interpretation of the situation in court”.
Notably in support of Akpoti-Uduaghan, a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Sergius Ogun, has described the treatment meted out to the suspended Senator as shameful. He argued that the Senate had no right to have suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, noting that the judiciary was part of the system for not being specific in its orders.
Sergius also said Akpabio had a personal vendetta against Akpoti-Uduaghan, stressing that the treatment was a bad image for Nigeria’s democracy, as well as a discouragement for women in politics.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Sergius said, “It is a shame. Natasha has a judgement and took it to the Senate, and you said it’s advisory?
“Nigeria is in the news for all the negative stuff these days. Tell me if you’re an investor, will you come to a hell like Nigeria?
“Those investors coming here are only coming to defraud the country. The Senate has no right to suspend her for six months, there’s no legal backing to what the Senate is doing.
“If the court said you don’t have power to do what you did, what does that mean? It means you should allow her resume.
“Nigeria is not in the top 10 judiciary list in Africa. If we don’t change the way we do things, there will be anarchy one day. Government is trying to stifle opposition from every corner, taking Natasha to court.
“Akpabio has malice against Natasha because she accused him of sexual harassment. APC is giving us a bad name and a bad image in this country. No arm of government or institution is independent, they are all appendages of the presidency. Natasha’s treatment is a discouragement for women in politics”.
