The Nigerian Senate has reiterated its warning to suspended Kogi Central senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to stay away from the National Assembly, emphasizing that there is no binding court order for her recall.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, suspended from plenary duties, announced plans to resume her legislative activities on Tuesday, July 22, citing a recent Federal High Court judgment by Justice Binta Nyako in Abuja.
In response, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, clarified on Sunday, July 20, that the court’s judgment was merely an advisory and not an enforceable directive.
Adaramodu stated that the court advised the Senate to reconsider its Standing Orders and reassess the suspension, deeming it “might be excessive,” but did not find any legal or constitutional violation in the Senate’s decision to suspend the senator.
He stressed that there is “no subsisting court order mandating the Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan before the expiration of her suspension.”
The court, according to the Senate, also found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt, imposing a ₦5 million fine and instructing her to issue a public apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page—directives which the spokesperson noted remain unfulfilled.
The Senate cautioned that any attempt by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to forcibly return to the chamber, under what it called a “misinterpretation” of the court ruling, would be seen as a violation of legislative procedure and an affront to the institution’s authority. The chamber reaffirmed that it will consider the court’s advisory at the appropriate time and will communicate any decisions accordingly.
Until a formal decision is announced, the Senate has asked Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to respect legislative processes and remain away from the National Assembly, urging her to allow due process to take its course.
