The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a directive to the Nigerian Senate to reinstate Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the embattled Kogi Central representative.
The court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, also declared Natasha’s six-month suspension unconstitutional and excessive.
The judge also faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules as well as Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declaring both as overreaching.
According to the judge, since lawmakers have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative cycle, the six-month suspension handed to Natasha was the same as pushing her away from her responsibilities to her constituents for about 180 days.
She held that though the Senate has the power to punish any of its members who err, such sanction must not be excessive to deprive the constituents of their right to be represented.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the court order for the Senate to reinstate Natasha comes after an initial judgment which awarded a ₦5 million fine against the suspended lawmaker for acting in breach of its order that barred the parties from making public statements about the subject matter of the suit.
Justice Nyako, while delivering judgment also ordered the female lawmaker to publish an apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page within seven days.
The verdict stemmed from a social media post attributed to Natasha, which allegedly violated a court order issued on April 4, 2025, by Justice Nyako.
The order restrained all parties involved in Natasha’s lawsuit against her suspension from the Senate from making media statements or social media posts related to the case.
However, Akpabio accused the suspended senator of posting a satirical letter on Facebook titled “Satirical Apology,” which was deemed a direct mockery of the court’s directive.
This prompted Akpabio to file a contempt claim, arguing that the post undermined the court’s authority.
The court, presided over by Justice Nyako, prioritized addressing the contempt issue before proceeding with other aspects of the case, emphasizing the seriousness of disobeying judicial orders.
Despite arguments from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Roland Otaru, SAN, that the post was not in breach of the court’s order and was an exercise of free speech, the court ruled against her.
Recall also that Natasha has been embroiled in a high-profile legal and political saga since her suspension from the Senate, which she is challenging in court.
The suspension followed allegations of misconduct, and the senator has accused Akpabio and others of bias in the decision.
Additionally, she faces separate charges of defamation and cybercrime, linked to statements made during an April 3, 2025, appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
During the program, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly claimed that Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello were plotting to assassinate her, leading to a six-count charge of criminal defamation and cyberbullying.
On June 30, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned before Justice Mohammed Umar at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where she pleaded not guilty to the defamation and cybercrime charges.
She was granted bail on self-recognition, with the court citing her status as a senator and the non-indictable nature of the charges.
