Natasha resumes July 15 as legal team hands over court verdict to Senate

By Sunday Ani

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central will on Tuesday, July 15, resume her legislative duties after over four months of suspension.

This followed the action of her legal team which has the leadership of the National Assembly with a certified true copy of the Federal High Court judgment mandating her immediate recall to the Senate.

In a letter dated July 1, Natasha’s lawyers declared that she would resume her legislative duties on July 15, in line with the directive of the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako.

The lawyers insisted that the court judgment, delivered on July 4, ruled that Natasha’s six-month suspension by the Senate was unlawful, excessive and a clear violation of her constitutional right to represent her constituents.

The court held that the action contravened Section 63 of the 1999 Constitution and flouted the Senate Standing Orders, which limit such suspensions to just 14 days.

Acting through the law firm of M.J. Numa & Partners, the legal team emphasised that the judgment was binding under Section 318 of the Constitution and called on the Clerk of the National Assembly to act swiftly and facilitate her return to the red chamber without further delay.

“In consequence, Her Lordship directed that the Senate has the power, and indeed, should exercise that power to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and allow her to resume representation of the constituents who duly elected her,” the letter stated.

The lawyers noted that Justice Nyako dismissed the legality of the extended suspension and affirmed that the relevant provisions of the Senate Standing Orders, particularly Order 66(4) of the 2023 edition, override the Legislative Houses (Powers & Privileges) Act when it comes to internal disciplinary procedures.

The judge further described the 180-day suspension, which is equivalent to a full legislative session, as an overreach of parliamentary power and a calculated disruption of the senator’s constitutional mandate.

Reiterating the urgency of the matter, the legal team warned against any attempt to defy the court’s authority, stressing that nature abhors a vacuum and that the constituents of Kogi Central must not remain unrepresented.

With the judgment and letter now formally served, pressure is mounting on the Senate leadership to comply. Legal and political analysts say the case could set a precedent for curbing legislative overreach and reinforcing judicial oversight in the protection of democratic mandates.

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