Abuja, Nigeria – A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the Nigerian Senate acted beyond its powers by suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, ordering her immediate recall to the legislative body.
Justice Binta Nyako, delivering the judgment on Friday, described the duration of the suspension as “excessive” and lacking clear legal foundation. The court found that both Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which the Senate cited, do not specify a maximum period for suspension, making the imposed sanction an overreach.
The judge highlighted that suspending a lawmaker for a period equivalent to the 181 days required for a legislative year effectively silences an entire constituency, deeming such a move unconstitutional. “While the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, such sanctions must not go so far as to deny constituents their right to representation,” Justice Nyako ruled.
However, the court did side with Senate President Godswill Akpabio on a separate matter. Justice Nyako ruled that Akpabio’s decision to prevent Akpoti-Uduaghan from speaking during a plenary session, on the grounds that she was not in her designated seat, did not constitute a violation of her rights.
The court also dismissed Akpabio’s argument that the judiciary should not interfere in what he termed an “internal affair” of the legislature. Justice Nyako asserted that matters concerning fundamental rights and constituent representation fall squarely within the court’s jurisdiction.
In an unexpected turn, the court imposed a monetary penalty on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for breaching a prior court directive that prohibited both parties from making public statements about the ongoing legal dispute.
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