Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, will return to the Senate on Tuesday, following a court order declaring her suspension unconstitutional.
In a video shared on social media on Sunday, Akpoti-Uduaghan thanked her supporters and confirmed her resumption, stating, “We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God.”
Her return follows a Federal High Court ruling on Friday, which nullified her six-month suspension from the Red Chamber. Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the judgment, described the suspension as excessive, unconstitutional, and a violation of the rights of Kogi Central constituents to representation.
While ordering her immediate reinstatement, the court also found Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt for a Facebook post viewed as a satirical apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The court ruled that the post violated a prior injunction barring public commentary on the matter and fined the senator ₦5 million.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension in March followed a heated Senate plenary and subsequent allegations of sexual harassment she made against Akpabio during a television interview.
Justice Nyako, in her ruling, stressed that the Senate’s action lacked procedural fairness and warned that long suspensions without due process could undermine democratic representation.
She urged the National Assembly to review its disciplinary procedures to align with constitutional standards and ensure fair hearing.
The court also noted that lawmakers are constitutionally required to participate in a minimum of 181 sitting days per legislative year, and any suspension that denies constituents their voice in the Senate must be carefully scrutinized.
