Suspended Kogi Central lawmaker Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has formally rejected the National Assembly’s claim that a July 4 Federal High Court judgment urging her return to the Senate was merely advisory. In a strongly worded July 14 “Rejoinder” to the Clerk of the National Assembly, her legal team—led by Michael Jonathan Numa, SAN—argued the court’s ruling is a binding directive requiring her immediate recall. What Sparked the Dispute Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months in March (formally enforced in early May 2025, according to Senate records citing “unparliamentary conduct” and “gross misconduct”). Critics have called the suspension politically motivated, alleging it targeted her over vocal interventions on budget and governance issues affecting Kogi Central. She sued in FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, naming the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate Committee on Ethics chairman among the defendants. The Court’s Decision In a judgment delivered July 4, 2025, Justice B.F.N. Nyako faulted the length of the six‑month suspension, saying it deprived Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constituents of representation. The court’s enrolled orders, she says, begin with “It is hereby ordered…” and include 12 specific directives—one of which states the “Senate should recall the Plaintiff.” While the word “should” was used, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s team contends that read in context, the structure and findings make the recall compulsory, not optional. Senate Clerk Pushes Back Responding in a July 14 letter, the Clerk (through Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation & Counselling) told her counsel that the court issued no mandatory order binding the Senate, describing the pronouncement as non-directive. The Clerk advised that the senator await Senate action should the chamber choose to exercise its power to recall her. Senator’s Legal Counterargument In her rejoinder, Akpoti-Uduaghan argued: Next Steps With the National Assembly in recess following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, plenary is expected to resume July 22, 2025. Akpoti-Uduaghan has notified the Clerk of her intention to return that day, barring further obstruction. Her lawyers warned that “all lawful measures” remain on the table should the Senate decline compliance. Wider Political Undercurrents Sources in the Red Chamber say senators are divided—some urging adherence to the court’s ruling (or at least a negotiated political settlement), others resisting on procedural or political grounds. Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) recently urged a political solution in televised remarks. Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has not issued a public statement on the matter. Background Timeline Why It Matters The showdown tests judicial enforceability over internal legislative discipline and raises broader questions about representation rights, checks and balances, and politicized sanctions within Nigeria’s National Assembly. How the Senate resolves—or escalates—this case could shape future confrontations between lawmakers and the courts.
