A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, July 4, 2025, ordered the Nigerian Senate to immediately recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended in March for six months over allegations of gross misconduct.
The court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, held that the suspension “unduly excessive,” saying that it unjustly deprived the people of Kogi Central of democratic representation.
The court therefore tasked the Senate to revisit its rules on sanctions to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
Justice Nyako however, affirmed the power of the Senate to discipline any member for unethical conduct, saying that under the Senate Rules, the Senate President is empowered to allocate seats for members and such a member is only allowed to speak from the seat allocated to him or her.
The court held that since Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan did not speak from the seat allocated to her during the Senate’s plenary of February 20, she was not entitled to be heard.
Justice Nyako also found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt of the court for violating its earlier order issued on April 4, 2025, that restrained all parties from commenting on the case.
The trail judge however, said that since Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was found guilty of contempt in a civil case, thereby making it a civil contempt, she would not be sent to prison but made to pay a fine and offer public apology to the court.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on April 27, 2025, posted a satirical apology to the President of the Senate on her Facebook page, a development the court noted breached its April 4 order.
Accordingly, Justice Nyako imposed a N5 million fine on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to be paid to the coffers of the Federal Government as punishment for a civil offence and also directed her to issue a public apology in two national dailies within seven days as well as on her Facebook page within two days.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed a suit challenging her suspension and joined the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Neda Imasuen—Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions—as defendants.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate on March 6, 2025 following allegations of misconduct which the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly said defied its sitting arrangement by refusing to take her reassigned seat during plenary on February 20.
The court had scheduled the judgment for June 27, but later postponed it to July 4.
