A Federal High Court has ruled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension was excessive and denied Kogi Central proper representation.
However, the Senate insists she won’t be reinstated until she issues a court-ordered apology and pays a ₦5 million fine for contempt.
Senate legal counsel maintained the ruling upholds their right to discipline members, as no binding order for reinstatement was issued.
He added: “It’s now up to her to apologise as directed. Once she does that, the Senate will sit and determine the next steps.”
The Senate counsel Paul Dauda, SAN, called the court’s decision a partial victory. He pointed out that the court upheld the Senate’s authority to discipline its members and penalised Akpoti-Uduaghan for contempt.
“There was no direct order for reinstatement. The judge only remarked that the suspension might have been excessive, but it was not a binding order. We’ll review the full judgment and respond accordingly,” Dauda clarified.
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