JUST IN: Court Orders Immediate Recall of Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the immediate recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Nigerian Senate. In a judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Binta Nyako ruled that the Senate’s six-month suspension of the Kogi Central lawmaker was excessive and lacked solid legal backing.

Justice Nyako invalidated parts of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, describing them as overreaching and insufficiently clear on the duration of suspensions for elected lawmakers. She noted that with only 181 sitting days in a legislative year, a six-month suspension—approximately 180 days—effectively strips constituents of representation, which is unconstitutional.

While affirming the Senate’s authority to discipline its members, the court stressed that penalties must be proportionate and must not undermine voters’ right to representation. The judge stated that legislative sanctions cannot be so severe as to deprive citizens of a voice in governance through their elected officials.

The court also dismissed arguments from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who claimed Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was rightly barred from speaking during plenary due to not occupying her designated seat. The court found no wrongdoing in this action but firmly rejected Akpabio’s assertion that the court lacked jurisdiction, ruling instead that the suspension affected both the senator’s and her constituents’ constitutional rights and therefore was a matter for judicial review.

Recam that the court earlier found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt for violating a gag order by posting a satirical apology to the Senate President on Facebook on April 7. Justice Nyako ruled that the post ridiculed the court’s earlier directive and ordered the senator to publish a formal apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days. The court also imposed a N5 million fine for the post.