I’ll return to senate on Tuesday, says Natasha Akpoti after court judgment

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, says she will resume her legislative duties in the red chamber on Tuesday.

On March 6, the senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over alleged gross misconduct.

The decision followed the adoption of the report by the committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions after the Kogi senator’s altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed a suit before the Abuja federal high court seeking to stop the suspension.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Binta Nyako, the presiding judge, affirmed the power of the senate to suspend erring members, including the Kogi senator.

However, the court faulted the duration of her suspension, describing it as “overreaching” and “excessive”.

The judge said the relevant laws of the senate did not define the maximum duration for which a serving lawmaker can be suspended from office.

She held that since lawmakers are constitutionally required to sit for a total of 181 days in each legislative session, the six-month suspension imposed on Akpoti-Uduaghan effectively stripped her of the opportunity to carry out her legislative duties for nearly the entire session.

This, the judge noted, amounted to denying her constituents their right to representation.

“A senator is expected to represent her people,” the judge stated.

“I am of the view that the senate has the power to amend that rule,” Nyako said, adding that the senate “can and should” reconsider recalling the plaintiff back to office.

She also ordered the senator to pay a N5 million fine for violating a court order by publishing a satirical apology to Akpabio on her Facebook page.

Reacting to the court ruling, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the judgment as a victory.

“I thank you for your support. I am glad we are victorious today. We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God,” the senator told her supporters.