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The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended in March for six months following a confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, July 4, Justice Binta Nyako described the suspension as “excessive,” criticizing the Senate for failing to establish a legal limit for such disciplinary actions.
Justice Nyako held that both Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules were overly broad and did not stipulate a maximum suspension period for lawmakers.
She emphasized that since lawmakers are constitutionally required to sit for 181 days per legislative session, suspending a senator for nearly the entire period effectively denies constituents their right to representation.
While affirming the Senate’s authority to discipline members, the judge noted that such penalties must not infringe on the rights of citizens to be represented in the legislature.
However, the court upheld Senate President Akpabio’s decision to deny Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan the floor during a plenary session, stating that she was not seated in her designated spot at the time.
Justice Nyako also rejected Akpabio’s argument that the case was an internal legislative matter beyond the court’s jurisdiction, ruling that the court had the authority to hear the case.
