- Safiu Kehinde
The Senate has unsealed the office of Kogi state lawmaker, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, marking the end of her six-month suspension by the chamber.
Natasha’s 205 office of the Senate wing was on Tuesday formally unsealed by the Deputy Director of the Sergeant at Arms of the National Assembly, Alabi Adedeji, ahead of the legislative chamber’s resumption on the 7th of October.
The development has doused the tension surrounding the lawmaker’s resumption which was at first met with strong resistance from the National Assembly (NASS).
NPO Reported that the NASS had earlier this ruled out Natasha’s return despite the expiration of her six months suspension and her notification of the Senate about her resumption.
Despite confirming the Senate’s acknowledgement of Natasha’s notification of return, the National Assembly held that the Kogi lawmaker’s six-month suspension remains in force pending the outcome of a Court of Appeal case instituted against the Senate by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
It held that no administrative action can be taken until the Court of Appeal delivers a verdict, arguing that her suspension took effect on March 6, 2025, and the matter is still subjudice.
The unsealing of the Natasha’s office today was however attributed to the outcome of a meeting held by the Senate leadership on Monday.
According to reports, the decision was arrived at during the leadership meeting, where it was planned that the Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) will, on resumption of the Assembly, move a motion for Natasha to apologise, which will be seconded, and then be taken.