The political storm surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan just took a dramatic legal turn.
On Monday in Abuja, the Court of Appeal firmly sided with the Nigerian Senate, ruling that the lawmakers were well within their constitutional rights to suspend the Kogi Central senator over alleged misconduct. The three-man panel of justices agreed without hesitation that the Senate did not overstep its authority.
According to the court, Akpoti-Uduaghan failed to convince the judges that her suspension violated parliamentary rules or infringed on her constitutional rights. In simple terms, the court wasn’t buying the argument that her treatment crossed the line.
But here’s where things get interesting.
While the suspension itself survived the legal test, the court threw out the contempt charge slammed on the senator earlier — along with the ₦5 million fine tied to a satirical apology she had issued to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. That sanction? Completely wiped off the table.
In its lead judgment, delivered by Justice A. B. Muhammed, the court also weighed in on a heated plenary moment from February 20, 2025. The judges ruled that Senate President Akpabio did nothing wrong by refusing to recognize Akpoti-Uduaghan when she attempted to speak from a seat not officially assigned to her.
The court emphasized that Senate rules give the presiding officer full authority to allocate seats and control who speaks — and from where.
Bottom line?
The suspension stays.
The fine is gone.
And the Senate’s grip on order inside the chamber just got judicial backing.
Political watchers say this ruling may reshape how power, privilege, and protest play out on the Senate floor going forward.
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