With Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan poised to reenter the Red Chamber, and no formal Senate statement yet issued, political watchers are closely monitoring whether the legislative leadership will comply with the court’s order\u2014or resist it.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legal practitioners across the country continue to debate the balance between parliamentary sovereignty and constitutional rights in Nigeria\u2019s evolving democratic framework.<\/p>\n
Controversial Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is set to return to the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a Federal High Court ruling that nullified her six-month suspension by the Nigerian Senate.<\/p>\n
The ruling, delivered by Justice Binta Nyako on Friday, July 4, 2025, declared the suspension unlawful, excessive, and lacking legal basis. The court ordered her immediate reinstatement, sparking a heated legal and political debate over the ruling\u2019s implications and enforcement.<\/p>\n
Court: Suspension Unconstitutional, Excessive<\/strong><\/p>\n Justice Nyako ruled that the Senate exceeded its powers by suspending Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months. According to the judgment, neither Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders nor Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act stipulates a maximum period for suspension\u2014rendering the Senate\u2019s action \u201coverreaching.\u201d<\/p>\n The court emphasized that suspending a legislator for nearly the full legislative year (181 days) effectively silences the voice of the constituents, a move deemed unconstitutional.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, such sanctions must not go so far as to deny constituents their right to representation,\u201d Justice Nyako stated.<\/p>\n However, the judge upheld Senate President Godswill Akpabio\u2019s decision to bar Akpoti-Uduaghan from speaking during a previous plenary due to her not sitting in her designated seat, stating it did not amount to a breach of her rights.<\/p>\n The court imposed a financial penalty of N5million on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating a previous directive prohibiting public comments by both parties while the case was sub judice.<\/p>\n Legal Community Divided Over Reinstatement<\/strong><\/p>\n In the wake of the judgment, legal opinions have diverged on whether Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan should resume her legislative duties immediately.<\/p>\n A letter circulating on social media allegedly from Senate counsel Paul Daudu, SAN, advised the senator to refrain from entering the Senate chamber until the enrolled court order was properly reviewed. However, Daudu has publicly disowned the letter.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease ignore the purported open letter to J.S. Okutepa, SAN. It is unsigned and was not authored by me,\u201d Daudu stated on Facebook, emphasizing his commitment to confining legal arguments to the courtroom.<\/p>\n Dr. Jaja: Reinstatement is Self-Executing<\/strong><\/p>\n In response, legislative law expert Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja issued an open letter strongly disagreeing with Daudu\u2019s position. Jaja argued that the court\u2019s decision is self-executory and does not require additional steps for enforcement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe judgment of Justice Binta Nyako clearly invalidates the Senate\u2019s suspension order. Therefore, Senator Natasha is free to resume her duties on Tuesday, July 8,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n Dr. Jaja compared the case to earlier court rulings that overturned the suspensions of Senators Ali Ndume (2017) and Ovie Omo-Agege (2018), noting that both lawmakers resumed duties immediately without further legislative actions.<\/p>\n He further challenged Daudu\u2019s interpretation of the judgment as containing mere obiter dicta (non-binding statements), citing constitutional provisions and court precedents that render unconstitutional legislative actions null and void automatically.<\/p>\n \u201cSection 1(3) of the Constitution makes it clear: any law or action inconsistent with the Constitution is null and void,\u201d Jaja asserted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan poised to reenter the Red Chamber, and no formal Senate statement yet issued, political watchers are closely monitoring whether the legislative leadership will comply with the court’s order\u2014or resist it. Meanwhile, legal practitioners across the country continue to debate the balance between parliamentary sovereignty and constitutional rights in Nigeria\u2019s evolving democratic framework. 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