The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Senate to reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, ruling that her suspension was unconstitutional.
Justice Binta Nyako held that while the Senate has the power to discipline its members, the suspension—lasting nearly the same duration as the required 181 sitting days in a legislative year—effectively denied the people of Kogi Central their right to representation.
She noted that the Senate relied on its Standing Orders and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which do not specify a maximum suspension period. The judge said this made the action excessive and unlawful.
“Disciplinary measures must not go so far as to silence the voice of an entire constituency,” Justice Nyako stated.
However, the court upheld Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s decision to prevent Akpoti-Uduaghan from speaking during plenary because she was not seated in her designated chair, ruling that the act did not violate her rights.
The judge also rejected Akpabio’s claim that the matter was purely an internal legislative affair, affirming that the courts have jurisdiction where fundamental rights and constitutional representation are concerned.
In a related development, the court imposed a financial penalty—running into millions of naira—on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for breaching an earlier court order that barred both parties from making public comments about the case.