..Orders Senate To Recall her.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Nigerian Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was handed a six-month suspension over gross misconduct.
In her judgment delivered Friday, Justice Binta Nyako said the duration of the suspension was unduly excessive as it deprived the people of Kogi Central of valid representation.
The judge advised the Senate to review their rules on sanctions.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had sued the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Neda Imasuen, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
The judge however found Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt of Court for her satirical apology to the Senate on her Facebook page on April 27, 2025, and fined the sum of N5million.
Justice Nyako also ordered her to publish a public apology on two national dailies within seven days and on her Facebook page within two days.
The judge held that the action of the Kogi Central Senator ran foul of an order of the Court made on April 4 stopping parties in the case from making press statements concerning the ongoing case.
The Senate had faulted Akpoti-Uduaghan’s refusal to comply with the chamber’s sitting arrangement by reportedly refusing to occupy her newly assigned seat during a plenary session on February 20, 2025, hence her suspended on March 6 for alleged misconduct and violation of its standing rules.
The court initially fixed the judgment on June 27 but later shifted the date to Friday, July 4.
