In a landmark ruling delivered on Friday, July 4, 2025, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Nigerian Senate to immediately reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District. The ruling comes in response to a six-month suspension imposed on the senator by the Senate earlier this year, which the court deemed “excessive, unconstitutional, and unjustifiable.”
Justice Nyako declared that the suspension violated both the spirit and the letter of the Nigerian Constitution by effectively disenfranchising the people of Kogi Central. She noted that since the Senate typically sits for about 181 days in a legislative year, a six-month suspension amounts to silencing the voice of an entire constituency. The court emphasized that while the Senate possesses internal disciplinary powers, such authority must not infringe on the democratic rights of Nigerian citizens to be represented in the legislature.
The court also scrutinized Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, both of which were cited in justifying the suspension. Justice Nyako ruled that the absence of a clearly defined limit on suspension durations made these provisions vulnerable to abuse and incompatible with the Constitution’s guarantees of fair representation and due process.
In a critical component of the ruling, the court rejected arguments made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s legal team, which claimed that the judiciary lacked the authority to intervene in the Senate’s internal affairs. Justice Nyako responded that when the actions of a legislative body infringe upon constitutional rights, the courts not only have the authority but also the responsibility to step in.
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However, the ruling was not entirely in favor of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. The court upheld the Senate President’s decision to deny her the floor during a previous plenary session, noting that she was not seated in her designated seat as required by Senate protocol. Nevertheless, the judge maintained that such a procedural infraction could not warrant a six-month suspension.
The court also found the senator guilty of contempt for violating a prior order that barred her from making public statements about the ongoing case. For this, she was fined ₦5 million and ordered to publish a public apology in two national newspapers within seven days.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, which occurred in March 2025, followed a heated dispute in the Senate chamber during which she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment and challenged her seat placement in the chamber. The Senate’s Ethics Committee subsequently recommended a six-month suspension, citing disorderly conduct and a breach of Senate protocol. Civil society groups and legal experts, including renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana, had since criticized the suspension as an abuse of power lacking any legal foundation.
This court decision has significant implications for legislative discipline in Nigeria. It reinforces the principle that while the legislature may manage its internal order, it cannot do so at the expense of democratic representation. Legal analysts suggest that the ruling could now serve as a reference point in future disputes between lawmakers and legislative leadership.
Whether the Senate will comply immediately or seek to appeal the ruling remains to be seen. However, with public sentiment largely in favor of the court’s verdict and mounting pressure from human rights advocates, there is strong expectation that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will soon return to her seat in the Red Chamber.
