Suspended Kogi senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has formally petitioned the Nigerian Senate to obey a Federal High Court ruling that declared her six-month suspension unconstitutional, excessive, and a violation of her constituents’ right to representation.
In a letter dated 11 July and addressed through her legal team, M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, the embattled lawmaker called on the upper chamber to implement the judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako on 4 July. The court found the Senate’s disciplinary action to be in breach of Section 63 of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the conditions and limits for suspending elected members of the legislature.
“The Honourable Court made several findings and orders, including… that the six-month suspension imposed on the Plaintiff was excessive, overreaching, and inconsistent with her ability to comply with the provisions of Section 63,” the letter stated.
The legal petition further urged Senate leadership to take “all necessary steps” to facilitate her immediate return to legislative duties. Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to resume plenary activities by Tuesday, 15 July, citing the court’s ruling as binding and enforceable.
Her suspension, imposed on 6 March, followed accusations of “unparliamentary conduct,” though critics have described the action as politically motivated and disproportionate. The senator subsequently initiated legal proceedings against the Senate President, the Clerk of the National Assembly, and the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
The court’s judgment is a significant win for the lawmaker, whose ouster sparked debate over legislative overreach and due process in Nigeria’s National Assembly. Justice Nyako, in her ruling, affirmed that the Senate’s action deprived Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constituents of their constitutional right to elected representation for half a year.
The ruling now places the Senate in a tight spot, with legal and public pressure mounting for immediate compliance. The case is also likely to intensify ongoing debates about internal disciplinary procedures in the legislature and their limits under Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
