Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Nigerian Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan who was handed six-month suspension over gross misconduct.
In her judgment delivered Friday, Justice Nyako described the duration of the suspension as unduly excessive as it deprives the people of Kogi Central of valid representation. The judge therefore advised the Senate to review their rules on sanctions.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had sued the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Neda Imasuen, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
But on the flip side, the judge found Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt of Court for her satirical apology made to the Senate on her Facebook page on April 27, 2025.
As a consequence, she has been fined the sum of N5million Naira. The judge also ordered that she publish on two national dailies a public apology within seven days as well as on her Facebook page within two days.
Justice Nyako held that the action of the Kogi Central Senator ran foul of an order of the Court made on April 4 stopping parties in the case from making press statements with respect to the ongoing case.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate on March 6 for alleged misconduct and violation of its standing rules.
Specifically, the Senate faulted her refusal to comply with the chamber’s sitting arrangement by reportedly refusing to occupy her newly assigned seat during a plenary session on February 20, 2025.
The court had initially fixed June 27 for the judgment but later shifted it to Friday, July 4.
This is a distinct case from the cybercrime charges recently brought against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, for which she was granted bail.
