A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Friday that the Nigerian Senate exceeded its authority in suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, ordering her immediate reinstatement to the Red Chamber.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Binta Nyako described the suspension period as “excessive” and lacking any clear legal basis.
The court held that neither Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders nor Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act—both cited by the Senate—set a maximum duration for suspension. Consequently, the court deemed the action disproportionate and overreaching.
Atiku, Obi, el-Rufai, Amaechi, others storm ADC meeting in Abuja
Justice Nyako highlighted that, as the National Assembly is only required to sit for 181 days in a legislative year, suspending a senator for nearly that entire duration effectively silences the voice of an entire constituency—an outcome she ruled to be unconstitutional.
“While the Senate possesses the authority to discipline its members, such measures must not go so far as to deny citizens their right to representation,” she stated.
However, in a separate matter, the court ruled in favour of Senate President Godswill Akpabio. It found that his refusal to allow Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to speak during a plenary session—on the grounds that she was not seated in her designated chair—did not constitute a breach of her rights.
The judge also rejected Akpabio’s argument that the matter was purely an “internal affair” of the legislature and thus beyond judicial review. She affirmed that issues concerning fundamental rights and democratic representation fall squarely within the court’s jurisdiction.
In an unexpected turn, the court imposed a financial penalty on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating an earlier court order that barred both parties from making public statements regarding the ongoing legal proceedings.
The fine amounts to several million naira.
