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Says she remains suspended till Appeal Court rules on suit
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Yahaya Danzaria, has said that the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) remains in force, pending the conclusion of the matter before the Court of Appeal.
This follows her notice of resumption to the Senate which was dated August 28, 2025. In the letter addressed to the Clerk of the NationalAssembly, she informed the management that her suspension period which began on March 4 was going to elapse on September 4.
“I wish to formally notify that the six months suspension imposed upon me shall expire on September 4, 2025, being exactly six months from the date of imposition. Consequently, by operation of law and in accordance with the terms of the Senate resolution, I am entitled to resume my full duties as a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ” she wrote.
In response via a letter dated September 4, 2025, and addressed to the lawmaker, the Clerk, Yahaya Danzaria, acknowledged receipt of her notice of intention to resume plenary and other legislative duties but said she was not cleared to resume duties yet.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, after a heated confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary over a chamge in seat allocation. The lawmaker later accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of victimising her for rejecting his sexual advances in a live TV appearance, a claim which the leadership of the Senate dismissed as unfounded and “unparliamentary.”
The altercation snowballed into disciplinary proceedings, culminating in a six-month suspension for what the Senate described as “gross misconduct and violation of the privileges of the chamber.”
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Rejecting the decision, Akpoti-Uduaghan approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn the suspension. In her suit, she argued that the action of the Senate violated her fundamental rights and disenfranchised the people of Kogi Central who elected her to represent them. The trial court, however, declined to grant her reliefs, ruling that the Senate possessed the constitutional powers to regulate its internal affairs, including the discipline of its members.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the senator proceeded to the Court of Appeal, where the matter is still pending. At the appellate court, she is asking for a declaration that her suspension is unconstitutional and a nullity, insisting that no legislative chamber has the authority to strip an elected representative of the mandate freely given by the people.
But in his letter, Danzaria reminded her that until the appellate court rules, her suspension cannot be administratively set aside. “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 stated.
The Clerk assured Akpoti-Uduaghan that she would be duly notified of the Senate’s decision once the matter is resolved.
