Natasha Set to Return to Senate on Tuesday Following Court Ruling

The suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has announced that she will return to the Senate on Tuesday, following a court order mandating her reinstatement to the Red Chamber.

She made this known in a video posted on social media, which began trending on Sunday, and expressed gratitude to her supporters for their continued support.

Her statement came after a ruling on Friday by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which declared her six-month suspension from the Senate unconstitutional, excessive, and a breach of her constituents’ right to representation.

Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the judgment, ruled that the suspension had no constitutional basis and ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s immediate reinstatement.

However, the court also found her guilty of contempt over a Facebook post characterized as a satirical apology directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The court held that the post violated an interim injunction issued on March 4, 2025, which prohibited all parties from making public or social media statements regarding the ongoing case challenging her suspension.

Justice Nyako imposed a ₦5 million fine on Akpoti-Uduaghan for breaching the court’s order with the post.

The senator had been suspended by the Senate in March following a heated and disorderly plenary session sparked by disputes over chamber seating arrangements.

The situation escalated days later when she publicly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment during a live television interview.

In her judgment, Justice Nyako stressed that the senator’s prolonged suspension was procedurally flawed and had effectively denied the people of Kogi Central their constitutional right to representation.

She noted that, under the constitution, lawmakers must attend at least 181 sitting days each legislative year, warning that extended suspensions without due process threaten democratic governance.

The court also criticized the Senate’s disciplinary procedures and called on the National Assembly to revise its internal rules to align with constitutional standards and uphold the right to fair hearing.