6 days ago
5
The Senate has fixed conditions for the reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, aft a Federal High Court successful Abuja nullified the six-month suspension handed down connected her by the Senate.
Justice Binta Nyako, successful her judgement connected Friday, ordered the Senate to reinstate the Kogi Central senator, describing her suspension arsenic excessive.
In March, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Red Chamber for six months for alleged gross misconduct, pursuing her face-off with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, implicit the sitting arrangement.
Tensions intensified erstwhile Akpoti-Uduaghan, connected nationalist television, accused Akpabio of punishing her for rejecting his alleged intersexual advances.
The Peoples Democratic Party legislator submitted a petition to the Senate, alleging that she was sexually harassed by Akpabio, an allegation the Senate President had since denied.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, successful the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, challenged her suspension successful court.
Delivering her judgement connected the matter, Justice Nyako faulted the proviso of Chapter Eight of the Senate Standing Rules arsenic good arsenic Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declaring some arsenic overreaching.
The tribunal stressed that the 2 legislations failed to specify the maximum play that a serving lawmaker could beryllium suspended from office.
Justice Nyako stated that portion the Senate had the authorization to subject its members, specified disciplinary actions indispensable not portion citizens of practice successful the National Assembly.
She noted that since the Senate was constitutionally required to beryllium for lone 181 days successful a legislative year, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s 180-day suspension amounted to denying the radical of Kogi Central effectual information successful nationalist governance.
“The tribunal is not saying that the Senate lacks the powerfulness to authorisation a member. However, specified sanctions indispensable not negate the law close of constituents to beryllium represented successful parliament,” Justice Nyako ruled.
The court, however, recovered Akpoti-Uduaghan blameworthy of contempt implicit a satirical apology she posted connected her Facebook leafage connected April 27.
Justice Nyako held that aft reviewing the station and the exertion earlier her instituted by the 3rd respondent, she was satisfied that it was linked to the suspension substance earlier the tribunal and truthful recovered the plaintiff blameworthy of contempt.
The justice ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to people an apology successful 2 nationalist dailies and connected her Facebook leafage wrong 7 days. She besides imposed a good of N5m.
Reacting to the judgment, the Senate Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said the Red Chamber would not instantly reinstate the embattled senator.
Adaramodu stated that the tribunal judgement did not override the Senate’s law powers to subject its members.
“Which judgement are we appealing erstwhile they (the court) said the Senate has the close to subject its erring members? The tribunal has not ousted the Senate’s statutory close to punish immoderate erring senator.
“It was established that the legislator successful question erred. The tribunal has already told her to spell and bash immoderate things, similar restitution, truthful aft the restitution, the Senate volition present beryllium again and see the contented of that restitution, and that volition pass our adjacent enactment of action,” Adaramodu said.
The Senate, helium explained, would lone reconvene to deliberate connected the substance aft Akpoti-Uduaghan had complied with the court’s directives.
“The onus is nary much connected america now; it is already connected her doorstep to spell and apologise. Once she does that, past the Senate volition beryllium and find however to woody with her matter.
“The archetypal absorption present volition not beryllium from us, the tribunal has ruled, truthful erstwhile she takes the measurement to redress and does what the tribunal has directed her to do, past the Senate volition beryllium and look astatine the contented of her absorption arsenic prescribed by the court,” Adaramodu added.
Addressing journalists aft the judgment, the Senate counsel, Paul Dauda, SAN, described the ruling arsenic a partial triumph for the Senate, peculiarly connected the contented of civilian contempt arising from societal media posts made during the case.
Dauda said, “The archetypal exertion filed by the Senate, that nary societal media posts should person been made, was decided successful our favour. The tribunal directed that the satirical apology beryllium taken down and that a due apology beryllium published successful 2 nationalist dailies. Additionally, damages of 5 cardinal naira were awarded to beryllium paid to the court.”
On the substantive ruling regarding the suspension, Dauda noted that the Senate’s authorization to subject its members was not successful dispute.
“It appears the tribunal affirmed that the Senate, arsenic an institution, has the close to subject its members. While members are elected to correspond constituencies, they are expected to behaviour themselves successful accordance with the Senate’s lasting rules,” helium said.
He explained that the tribunal did not bid Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reinstatement but simply suggested that the Senate could see recalling her.
“There was nary alleviation asking for the suspension to beryllium lifted. The justice lone made what we telephone an obiter dictum, a non-binding remark, that the suspension whitethorn person been excessive. We volition consult with our colleagues, work the afloat judgment, and respond accordingly,” helium added.
Meanwhile, erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar has commended Justice Nyako for lifting the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a station shared connected his verified X (formerly Twitter) grip connected Friday, Atiku besides praised Akpoti-Uduaghan for seeking redress successful court.
“I commend Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the courageousness successful lifting the obnoxious suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central),” helium wrote.
“I besides hail Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan for challenging the illegality of her suspension by not sleeping connected her rights successful a enclosure wherever women are already vulnerable.”
He added that nary terms should beryllium excessively precocious to wage successful the pursuit of justness and the assertion of one’s rights.
The station Nigeria Senate gives conditions for Natasha’s instrumentality aft tribunal judgement archetypal appeared connected Nigeria Stories.
