By James Adamu in Abuja
The Senate has formally responded to a court order directing the legislative body to recall suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that the judgment did not impose a mandatory compliance order but merely “advised” the Senate to exercise its constitutional powers.
In a letter addressed to Michael Jonathan Numa, SAN, the lawyer representing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, the National Assembly’s Legal Services Directorate asserted that the Federal High Court’s ruling did not compel the Senate to act but only offered a recommendation.
The legal battle stems from the Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) in early 2025 following allegations of misconduct and breach of parliamentary rules. The suspension, which was enforced within a six month timeline, sparked outrage among her supporters and civil society groups, who argued that it violated her constitutional mandate as an elected representative.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a vocal critic of the Senate leadership, had repeatedly clashed with the upper legislative chamber over transparency issues and alleged procedural irregularities. Her suspension was widely perceived as politically motivated, particularly given her outspoken stance on governance reforms.
In response, she filed a lawsuit (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the legality of her suspension. On 4th July 2025, Justice B.F.N. Nyako ruled in her favour, declaring the suspension unconstitutional and advising the Senate to recall her to resume her legislative duties.
However, in a letter dated 14th July 2025, the National Assembly’s legal team disputed the interpretation of the court’s decision, insisting that the Senate was not under any legal obligation to act immediately.
The letter, signed by Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation and Counselling, stated: “From our summary of the judgment order, there is no order made on the 4th day of July 2025 by Hon. Justice B.F.N. Nyako for the Senate, President of the Senate, or National Assembly to comply with.
The declaratory judgment merely advised the Defendants to exercise their power to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and allow her to resume representing the people who sent her to represent them.”
It further urged Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team to “advise your client to await the action of the Senate to exercise their power of recall as advised by the court.”
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