Amanze Chinonye
The National Assembly has rejected Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s bid to return to the Senate, insisting her six-month suspension remains in force until the Court of Appeal rules on the matter.
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In a letter dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, the Senate acknowledged receiving Akpoti-Uduaghan’s notification of her intention to resume plenary duties, which she said coincided with the end of her suspension.
But the management maintained that her suspension, imposed on March 6, 2025, over alleged misconduct, remains legally unsettled because the case is under judicial consideration.
“The subject matter of your suspension is presently before the Court of Appeal. The matter therefore remains sub judice, and until the judicial process is concluded and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in the light of the Court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken by this office to facilitate your resumption,” the letter read in part.
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Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, was suspended for six months in March. In July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ruled that while the Senate acted excessively in handing down such a lengthy suspension, the senator was guilty of contempt of court and fined ₦5 million over a Facebook post. Both sides filed appeals, leaving the matter unresolved.
The Senate’s refusal to allow her resumption has wider implications. For her Kogi Central constituents, it means they remain without representation in the upper chamber at a time when key debates on constitutional amendments, fiscal policies, and national security are ongoing. For the legislature, the case raises critical questions about the limits of parliamentary privilege and how far judicial oversight can go in checking the powers of the Senate.
Observers say the outcome will set a precedent for how disciplinary actions against lawmakers are handled in the future, while also spotlighting the political underrepresentation of women since Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four female senators in the 10th Assembly.
Until the appellate court delivers its ruling, her seat remains effectively vacant and the deadlock unresolved.
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