The Nigerian Senate has dismissed plans by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, to return to legislative duties, insisting that her suspension remains valid until a pending court case is resolved.
In a letter dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, the Senate confirmed receiving Akpoti-Uduaghan’s notice of intention to resume on September 4, a date she claimed marked the completion of her six-month suspension.
However, the upper chamber clarified that her suspension, which began on March 6, 2025, has not yet been lifted. It stressed that the matter is still before the Court of Appeal, and as such, no administrative action could be taken until the judicial process is concluded.
“The matter remains sub judice, and until the judicial process is concluded, no administrative action can be taken to facilitate your resumption,” the letter stated in part.
Earlier, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Victor Giwa, had told The PUNCH that the senator, who has been on vacation in London, had already mapped out plans to return to plenary alongside her colleagues when the Senate reconvenes on September 23.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, following a Senate resolution accusing her of insubordination after she allegedly rejected a change of her designated seat during plenary. The suspension, recommended by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, also stripped her of aides, salaries, and office benefits.
The lawmaker has consistently maintained that her suspension was politically motivated, linking it to her earlier petition in which she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, an allegation the Senate strongly denied.
She subsequently challenged the suspension in court and claimed victory after securing a judgment that, according to her, favoured her recall. However, Senate leadership insisted that she would remain suspended until the full six-month period elapsed.
Her earlier attempt to re-enter the National Assembly in July ended in confrontation when security operatives blocked her from gaining access to the chamber, despite being accompanied by a large crowd of supporters.
For now, the Senate has made it clear that her return to legislative activities hinges entirely on the outcome of the pending appeal.
Advertisement
