The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, ruling that the Nigerian Senate acted within its constitutional and procedural powers.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Monday by a three-member panel, the appellate court dismissed Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s appeal challenging her suspension. Marked CA/ABJ/CV/1107/2025, the appeal was filed against the Clerk of the National Assembly and three others.
According to the Court, the suspension did not violate the Senator’s parliamentary privileges or her constitutional rights and from the provision of Section 66(4) of the Senate’s standing rules, there are inherent powers to invoke disciplinary action to ensure orderliness in the conduct of its proceedings.
Justice A. B. Muhammed, who read the lead judgment, ruled that the Senate President acted in accordance with the Senate Rules by denying Akpoti-Uduaghan the opportunity to speak during plenary on February 20, 2025, after she failed to occupy her officially designated seat.
Maintaining that the Senate has power to discipline any erring member and in the instant case, Natasha’s fundamental right was never breached as she alleged, the appellate court held that Senator Natasha was wrong on the February 20, 2025 incident when the Senate President allocated a new seat to her and refused to accept the order.
Also, the court held that under the Senate Rules, the Senate President has the authority to allocate and reassign seats to lawmakers and that members are only permitted to contribute during plenary from their assigned seats.
The Court also held that Natasha’s claim of not being given prior notice on the change of seat was unattainable because there was no provision for prior notification.
The Appeal Court said, Senator Natasha, upon being told the re-allocation of seat ought to have moved to the new seat adding that the Senate was right to enforce order six rule two following her persistent refusal to obey the Senate order.
To worsen the situation, the Court held that the lawmaker’s refusal to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Petition and Privileges did not help her case.
Similarly, the appellate Court dismissed Natasha’s claim that her suspension was carried out in violation of an order by Justice Obiora Egwuatu noting that, since Justice Egwuatu recused himself and the matter started afresh by Justice Binta Nyako, the order of Justice Egwuatu was no longer subsisting.
Consequently, the court concluded that the actions taken by the Senate leadership in the matter were lawful and procedurally sound.
However, the Court nullified the contempt proceedings and the ₦5 million sanction earlier imposed on the lawmaker over a satirical apology she directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
