The court ruled her six-month suspension was “unconstitutional and unlawful,” and deprived Kogi Central constituents of representation.
The Nigerian Senate has filed a cross-appeal against the July 4, 2025, judgment delivered by Justice B.F.M. Nyako of the Federal High Court, which nullified Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
The court ruled her six-month suspension was “unconstitutional and unlawful,” and deprived Kogi Central constituents of representation.
In a notice of appeal filed on July 24 by its legal team led by Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, the Senate challenged three aspects of the ruling. It argued that the trial court erred by ignoring Section 21 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which mandates a pre-action notice before legal proceedings.
The Senate seeks to strike out Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suit for lack of jurisdiction. Meanwhile, sources revealed the appeal lacked Senate resolution and was allegedly initiated by Senate President Akpabio. A senator told SaharaReporters: “There was no agreement… it was Akpabio’s unilateral decision.”
The dispute reportedly caused a clash between Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele in a closed-door session, with Bamidele threatening resignation over Akpabio’s leadership style.