THE Senate has reaffirmed its position on the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating unequivocally that the Kogi Central lawmaker remains suspended until the National Assembly reconvenes from its ongoing recess in two months’ time.
This was made known by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, monitored by News Point Nigeria.
His remarks came just hours after the embattled senator was barred from entering the National Assembly complex, despite citing a court judgment in her favour.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had attempted to resume plenary on Tuesday morning, following a suggestive ruling by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which described her six-month suspension as “excessive”.
However, security operatives at the gate of the National Assembly denied her access, insisting that she had not been cleared for resumption by the Senate leadership.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 following a heated altercation on the Senate floor involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The confrontation reportedly stemmed from a dispute over seat arrangements, but later escalated when the senator accused Akpabio of sexual misconduct, an accusation that the Senate President vehemently denied.
The Senate deemed her actions a breach of the chamber’s decorum and handed down a six-month suspension, which she challenged in court.
In a judgment delivered in July, Justice Nyako ruled that although the Senate has the constitutional authority to discipline its members, suspensions longer than 14 days may infringe on the rights of constituents to be represented, urging the Senate to review its standing orders.
Nonetheless, the court did not issue a mandatory injunction ordering her immediate recall, a technicality the Senate has since leaned on.
Speaking on the controversy, Adaramodu dismissed suggestions that the court ruling had automatically reinstated the senator.
“There is no subsisting order of the Federal High Court directing the Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The court merely offered an advisory opinion, urging us to reconsider the suspension,” he said.
He added that the Senate has not violated any law, noting that the disciplinary process was conducted within the chamber’s established procedures.
“Until the Senate reconvenes and formally reviews the court’s suggestions, the suspension stands. She remains suspended and is not permitted to resume legislative duties,” Adaramodu insisted.
Legal counsel to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria West Idahosa, has argued that the court’s declaration invalidates the suspension in principle even if not accompanied by a mandatory recall order.
“When a court rules that a suspension is unconstitutional, it is equivalent to nullifying that action. Our client is within her rights to resume duties,” he told journalists.
But the Senate holds a different view, emphasizing that legislative independence allows the chamber to manage internal discipline within its rules, provided it does not breach fundamental rights.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at the National Assembly complex around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, but was denied entry by security personnel, reportedly on the orders of the Senate leadership.
Her aides engaged briefly with the guards, presenting copies of the court ruling, but were told that “only clearance from the Clerk to the Senate or the Senate President” could authorize her entry. She later left the premises without incident.
With both sides holding firm to their interpretations of the court judgment, the standoff sets the stage for a potential constitutional and legal showdown between the judiciary and the legislature.
The Senate has vowed to obtain the Certified True Copy of the ruling and review it during plenary after recess, even as Akpoti-Uduaghan and her legal team explore further legal options, including seeking an injunction or contempt proceedings.
“This is no longer just about Natasha,” said one aide. “It’s about whether lawmakers can be silenced when they raise uncomfortable truths.”
For now, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan remains barred, and her future in the red chamber hangs in the balance.