- Safiu Kehinde
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has on Monday upheld the decision of the Senate to suspend Kogi State lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The court, in a unanimous decision delivered by a three-member panel, held that the red chamber acted within its powers.
According to reports, Natasha had filed an appeal against the Clerk of the National Assembly and three others over her six-month suspension by the Senate.
However, the appellate court in its ruling on the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1107/2025, maintained that the suspension did not breach Akpoti-Uduaghan’s parliamentary privileges or constitutional rights.
Justice A. B. Muhammed, who delivered the spearheaded the panel, held that the Senate President acted within the Rules by denying Akpoti-Uduaghan the opportunity to speak during plenary on February 20, 2025, as she was not seated in her officially allotted seat.
The court noted that the Senate President is empowered under the Senate Rules to reallocate seats to lawmakers, and that members are only permitted to speak from their designated seats.
Meanwhile, the court dismissed the contempt proceedings and a N5m fine imposed on the lawmaker over her satirical apology to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
More details later…