Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has declared her intention to return to the Senate on Tuesday, despite the Red Chamber’s continued refusal to acknowledge a court ruling that overturned her six-month suspension.
In a video widely circulated on social media over the weekend, Akpoti-Uduaghan was seen addressing a crowd of jubilant supporters shortly after the judgment. “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 declared.
Her remarks followed a landmark decision by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, which invalidated her suspension and described it as unconstitutional. Presiding over the case, Justice Binta Nyako ruled that the Senate’s disciplinary action against the Kogi lawmaker was both “excessive and a violation of the rights of her constituents.”
The court held that the relevant sections of the Senate Standing Rules and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act relied upon to justify the suspension were overreaching and could not override constitutional provisions.
Justice Nyako emphasized that suspending a senator for six months, in a legislative calendar that mandates members to sit for 181 days, amounts to denying the represented constituency its voice in the national assembly. She said the action was not only punitive but also disenfranchised voters in Kogi Central.
Despite the court’s ruling, the Senate has yet to officially respond or indicate whether Akpoti-Uduaghan will be allowed to retake her seat on Tuesday.
The development has sparked renewed debate on the limits of legislative disciplinary powers and the legal recourse available to lawmakers subjected to internal sanctions.
