Court tell Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to kontinu her work

Di court don order di Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan back to her legislative duties.

Justice Binta Nyako of di Federal High Court for di judgement tok say her six months suspension dey too much.

According to di section 14(2) of di Privileges Act of di Senate, suspension dey in default.

Di judgement add say constituents no suppose dey witout representation and make Senate review dia laws on suspensions.

Meanwhile, court bin find Senator Natasha in contempt of court, sake of di satirical apology wey she bin post for her Facebook page.

Justice Binta Nyako fine am five million naira ($3,266), wey she go pay into di court registry.

Court also order her to publish a formal apology for her Facebook page and for two national newspapers.

She must to do dis within seven days of did ruling.

How di judgement happen

Justice Binta Nyako first rule on di issue of contempt of court against Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, sake of di facebook fake apology wey she bin make.

Di Judge rule say she find di senator guilty of civil contempt not criminal contempt.

She say she bin don order both parties make dem no make any further comment for di matter since e don dey bifor di court, but Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan still go ahead to make di facebook post.

Nyako say Natasha owe di court apology not di senate, and dat na why she go pay di N5 million fine into di court registry, and di apologies go dey directed to di court.

On di issue of suspension, Justice Nyako agree say di Senate get power to discipline dia member, however, di six months suspension wey dem give Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan "dey excessive" and e deprive her constituents of representation.

She say di provisions of Chapter 8 of di Senate Standing Rules and section 14 of di Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, dey overreaching, bicos e no specify di maximum period wey dem fit suspend a serving lawmaker from office.

According to di trial judge, lawmakers get a total of 181 days to sit for each legislative year, so if you minus weekends and public holidays, e go be say senator Akpoti-Uduaghan go don dey suspended for almost all di period wey she suppose carry out her responsibilities to her constituents.

"A suspension no fit pass di requisite number of days wey a member dey expected to sit. To suspend a member for six months mean to suspend her for 180 days... I no think say dis na di intention of di framers of di law," she tok.

Since di senate rule no specify di number of days wey a member fit dey suspended, di Judge tok say "di senate can, and i believe should recall di plaintiff, and allow her to continue to represent di pipo who send her dia to reprsent dem".

However, di court tok say Senate President Godswill Akpabio no dey wrong as e deny Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan di chance to speak during plenary bicos she bin no dey for di seat wey dem allocate to her.

"If as alleged, say di Senator bin no dey for di seat allocated to her, den by operation of di senate rules, she no fit tok until she move to her allocated seat, no matter how urgent or sudden di privilege is," di Judge rule.

"Consequently, for as long as di plaintiff bin no dey speak from di seat allocated to her, di second and third defendant no fit take any step for di plaintiff matter, bicos she neva comply wit di senate rules."

Justice Nyako also dismiss wetin Akpabio lawyer bin argue, saying dat di court no get jurisdiction to entertain di matter bicos na internal affair of di Senate wey be an independent arm of goment.

She say since di matter concern di enforcement of di fundamental rights of di plaintiff, so di court get jurisdiction to hear am.

In conclusion, Justice Nyako say as far as she dey concerned, "dia is no winner no vanquished for dis matter, dat na di end of my decision".

Wetin go happen next

Already di counsel to di Senate, Paul Daudu SAN don claim victory for di matter and e tell tori pipo say dem go study di text of di judgement to know wetin next to do.

E tok say wetin di court do na wetin dem dey call "obiter dictum" for legal grammer, which mean to say na opinion wey di judge give say di suspension dey excessive.

"We go read di judgement, consult wit our client and know wetin next to do," Daudu tok.

Di lawyers to Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan say dem no wan tok to tori pipo, so e never dey clear which step dem go take, but dia facial expression for court afta di judgement be like say dem no get joy.

However, activist Aisha Yesufu, who dey usually come court to support Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, say she dey disappointed wit di court decision.

"Di same senate wey bin no listen to di court order not to go ahead wit di hearing and suspension, na di same senate wey di court don give power now for dem to recall her. How?" Yesufu ask.

Brief Background

Na for February 2025 kasala bin happun for di National Assembly between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Natasha.

Akpabio bin give order make di Sergeant-at-Arms carry Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan comot from di chamber afta she refuse to go to di seat wey dem allocate for her, and she dey para for di senate chamber.

She accuse Akpabio say im deliberately wan silence her voice and also deny her opportunity to contribute to motions.

Di senator say di senate president just dey "discriminate against me, malign me, and dehumanise me".

Afta di drama, di senate accuse Natasha of breaking dia rules as she disobey di order to relocate to her new seat.

Di matter go bifor di senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions, but Natasha refuse to appear bifor di committee bicos she say she don carry di matter go court.

However, di committee do dia hearing for her absence and recommend say she go dey suspended for six months.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduagha final words as she dey comot for di senate chamber after her suspension tell di lawmakers na: "Dis injustice no go dey sustained."