Court orders Senate to recall Senator Natasha

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan unlawful and has ordered her immediate recall to the Nigerian Senate.

The ruling, delivered on Friday by Justice Binta Nyako, also found the embattled senator guilty of contempt, imposing a N5 million fine and mandating a public apology in two national newspapers.

Justice Nyako ruled that the Nigerian Senate exceeded its legal authority by suspending Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months.

She said neither Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders nor Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act provided for such a prolonged suspension.

She described the action as unconstitutional and an infringement on the rights of the senator’s constituents.

“The National Assembly is only required to sit for 181 days in a legislative year,” Justice Nyako said. “Suspending a lawmaker for approximately that length of time effectively silences the voice of an entire constituency, which is not permissible under our Constitution.”

While affirming that the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, the court emphasized that such sanctions must not breach constitutional protections or impair representation.

In a separate but related matter, the court ruled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s claim that the judiciary lacked jurisdiction over legislative conduct, stating that issues involving fundamental rights fall squarely within the court’s purview.

However, in a twist, the judge also held Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in contempt of court for violating a gag order.

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The contempt charge stemmed from an April 7 satirical Facebook post where she mocked the court’s directive by issuing what the judge described as a “mock apology” to Senate President Akpabio.

The court deemed this act a deliberate attempt to ridicule the judicial process.

Consequently, Justice Nyako ordered the senator to publish a sincere apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days. She must also pay a N5 million fine for contempt in a civil proceeding.

Although the contempt action originated from Akpabio’s complaint, the court declined to issue any direct relief in his favour.

The senator, who represents Kogi Central, was suspended earlier this year for alleged disorderly conduct.

Her legal challenge to the suspension was based on constitutional arguments surrounding due process and representative rights.

Punch Newspaper