Key Points

• Court to rule June 27 on Akpoti-Uduaghan’s challenge against Senate suspension

• Contempt charges and jurisdictional objections also to be decided

• Suspension followed a confrontation between the senator and Senate President Akpabio

A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 27 to deliver its ruling in the legal battle between suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and the Nigerian Senate.

The case challenges the six-month suspension imposed on her following a heated exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio earlier this year.

Presiding judge Binta Nyako confirmed the date after hearing final arguments from lawyers representing both parties.

The court will not only decide on the legality of the suspension but also address contempt claims and a jurisdictional challenge raised by the defendants.

“What I am going to do is first look at the issues of contempt and take a decision,” the judge said. “Then I will look at the preliminary objections.

If they succeed, that is the end of the case. If not, I will examine the plaintiff’s originating summons.”

Suspension Followed Altercation in Senate

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, barely two weeks after a confrontation during plenary over her assigned seat.

Her protest escalated into a heated exchange with Senate President Akpabio, drawing disciplinary attention from the Senate Committee on Ethics.

Despite a restraining order issued earlier by Justice Obiora Egwuatu to halt any disciplinary action, the Senate proceeded with the suspension, stripping her of all legislative privileges, including access to her office and security aides.

Akpoti-Uduaghan later filed a contempt application against Akpabio and others for defying the court’s order. The Senate and Akpabio responded with a counter-application, accusing her of violating a gag order by posting a satirical apology on Facebook, which they argued amounted to contempt.

Legal Teams Clash Over Jurisdiction and Gag Order

At the hearing on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lead counsel, Michael Numan (SAN), argued that the suspension was not only unlawful but a violation of her constitutional rights.

He asked the court to reject the contempt claims, insisting the Facebook post related to a separate issue — her previously dismissed sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio.

However, Akpabio’s counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), and Senate counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN) maintained that the post was a direct breach of the court’s order.

They also urged the court to strike out the case on the grounds of jurisdiction, calling it “an academic exercise.”

Controversy Draws Public, International Interest

The case has continued to attract significant attention due to the high-profile figures involved and the sensitive allegations at its center.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment claims against Akpabio were dismissed twice by the Senate, with Akpabio denying the accusations outright.

Akpoti-Uduaghan has remained defiant, stating she would never apologise and vowing to pursue justice through the courts. By the time the court delivers its ruling in June, she would have served nearly four of the six months of her suspension.