Akpoti-Uduaghan to resume Senate duties despite Akpabio’s appeal against court ruling

Summary

• Court ruled her six-month suspension unconstitutional, ordering immediate reinstatement
• Senate President Akpabio appeals verdict, citing legislative autonomy and jurisdiction concerns
• Tensions rise as Akpoti-Uduaghan vows to return July 22, challenging Senate leadership

Abuja, Nigeria — Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has reaffirmed her decision to resume plenary duties in the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, despite an appeal by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Her return follows a Federal High Court ruling on July 4, which declared her six-month suspension “excessive and unconstitutional”, and ordered her immediate reinstatement, citing the violation of her constituents’ right to representation.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March after a public row with Akpabio over Senate seating, which escalated when she accused the Senate President of sexual harassment and abuse of office. The suspension, endorsed by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, was challenged in court by the senator, who described it as retaliatory.

Akpabio, however, filed an appeal on July 14 with the Court of Appeal in Abuja, arguing that the judiciary lacks authority over internal legislative matters. His legal team contends that the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act protects parliamentary proceedings from court interference, and that Akpoti-Uduaghan failed to exhaust internal mechanisms before approaching the judiciary.

The Senate Clerk also asserted that the ruling was advisory, a claim Natasha’s lawyers dismissed by referencing Section 287(3) of the Constitution, which mandates enforcement of court judgments.

Despite the appeal, Akpoti-Uduaghan formally notified the Senate of her intention to resume, stating: “I have written to the Senate again telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd… by the special grace of God.”

While acknowledging that her suspension limited her ability to participate in plenary sessions, she said she continued to serve her constituents through budget facilitation and community projects.

The standoff has sparked renewed debate about the limits of legislative immunity, judicial oversight, and gender equity in politics. Civil society groups and legal experts, including Femi Falana SAN, have described the suspension as “legislative recklessness”, referencing a 2017 Court of Appeal precedent which upheld the rights of elected lawmakers against unlawful suspensions.

As one of only four women in Nigeria’s 109-member Senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case has also reignited conversations about gender discrimination and political retaliation, with women’s rights groups urging greater accountability in the legislature. Her return to plenary on Tuesday could mark a pivotal moment in the evolving balance between parliamentary authority and constitutional rights.