Amanze ChinonyeA mild standoff occurred at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday as security operatives blocked Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from gaining entry.
The Kogi Central senator, suspended from the Senate earlier this year for alleged misconduct, had publicly declared her intention to resume legislative duties, citing a July 4 Federal High Court judgment which nullified her six-month suspension. But her attempt to gain entry into the National Assembly was met with resistance.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelEyewitnesses at the scene described a tense atmosphere as security agents comprising police officers and National Assembly security personnel mounted tight barricades at all entry points. Her convoy was intercepted at the first gate, prompting the senator to proceed on foot through the rain alongside a small group of supporters chanting slogans and waving placards in solidarity.
Despite reaching the second gate of the complex, she was turned back by security officials who informed her she would not be allowed entry.
“I’m here peacefully to resume my constitutional duties as affirmed by the court,” Akpoti-Uduaghan told journalists outside the gate. “This denial is not just a breach of my rights, it’s a defiance of the law.”
The Senate, however, maintains that the court judgment does not compel her reinstatement. In a statement released Sunday, the Senate leadership described the ruling as “non-binding,” asserting that internal disciplinary actions remain the prerogative of the upper chamber.
READ ALSO: Natasha Insists On Resuming Senate Duties Tuesday Says Court Order Is Binding
The impasse has sparked renewed debate over the separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislature, particularly regarding the autonomy of parliamentary discipline. Legal analysts are divided on whether courts can override a legislature’s internal sanctions.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension has since drawn criticism from civil society groups and some legal experts who describe the measure as heavy-handed and unconstitutional.
Tuesday’s dramatic scene outside the National Assembly underscores the growing constitutional tension in Nigeria’s democratic institutions. Supporters of the senator have vowed to pursue legal and civic measures until she is allowed to resume.
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