Justice Binta Fatima Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed June 27, 2025, as the date for judgment in the legal dispute filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Senate and its leadership, challenging her suspension over claims of misconduct.
The Kogi Central senator dragged several parties to court, including the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate itself, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Nedamwen Imasuen. The case stems from a decision by the Senate Committee to suspend her following accusations of inappropriate conduct.
Justice Nyako stated that judgment would be delivered on the main case as well as on contempt proceedings filed against both Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio. These contempt allegations are related to a previous court order that barred both parties and others involved from making public comments or social media posts about the matter while it was ongoing.
According to the court, on April 4, an order was made restraining all parties from granting interviews or making social media statements about the case. Despite this, Akpoti-Uduaghan was accused by Senate counsel Paul Daudu, SAN, of breaching the order by posting a mocking apology on Facebook. In response, her legal team pointed out that Akpabio had also allegedly violated the same order by allowing media commentary in his favor from notable lawyers Olisah Agbakoba and Monday Ubani.
During the last hearing, Michael Numan, counsel for Akpoti-Uduaghan, asked the court to nullify the Senate’s suspension decision. He also dismissed the contempt allegations leveled against his client. Numan insisted that the actions taken by the Senate committee were unjust and called on the court to protect his client’s rights.
On the opposing side, representatives of the National Assembly and its leadership questioned the court’s authority to handle the case. They argued that the matter falls outside the scope of judicial review and should be dismissed outright.
The roots of the disagreement trace back to a Senate session held on February 20, 2025, where a quarrel over seating arrangements reportedly triggered the fallout. The situation escalated when Akpoti-Uduaghan made public accusations of sexual harassment against Senate President Akpabio during a television interview with ARISE News.
Her legal challenge began shortly after, seeking an order from the court to halt the Senate Committee’s probe. However, this move led to her six-month suspension, which she is now fighting to overturn. It’s worth noting that the case was initially assigned to Justice Obiorah Egwuatu, who recused himself after Akpabio’s legal team raised concerns.
