Intrigues As Natasha, Akpabio Battle In Court Over Senate Suspension

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja to contest her suspension from the Senate, arguing it was unjust and driven by bias.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, May 13, to challenge her suspension from the Senate.

She argued that her suspension was unfair and showed bias against her.

In her case, she named the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, and Senator Neda Imasuen, who heads the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, as those responsible for the suspension. The hearing was taken over by Justice Binta Nyako after a previous judge stepped down from the case.

Her lawyer, Jibrin Okutekpa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that they had submitted all the needed documents, following earlier court instructions. Lawyers for the Senate and Senate President, including Paul Daudu and Ekwo Ejembi, also said they had filed their papers. But they raised a new issue, claiming Akpoti-Uduaghan had disobeyed a court order.

They accused her of contempt, pointing to a Facebook post and a letter that appeared in newspapers on March 27. The letter contained a sarcastic apology directed at the Senate President. The defence lawyers argued that this public statement went against a court order that told all parties to stay silent about the ongoing case.

However, Michael Numan (SAN), who also represents Akpoti-Uduaghan, rejected these accusations. He said they were aware of the motion but denied any wrongdoing. He explained that the Facebook post had no link to her and did not break any court rule. He added that the letter wasn’t meant to insult or disrespect the court. “The letter was not intended to defy the court’s authority and should not be considered a contemptuous statement,” he said.

In her response, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan strongly defended her freedom of speech. She said the Senate President was trying to take away her right to express herself. She clarified that her letter was focused on the sexual harassment accusations against the Senate President, not the case about her suspension. She also said the letter and post had nothing to do with the court case and should not be treated as breaking the law. According to her, “the matter before the court should focus on her suspension and the legitimacy of that decision, rather than the content of her viral letter.”

The legal fight is still ongoing. The court will now decide whether her suspension was lawful and if her letter truly violated any court order. The result of this case could affect not just her political future, but also the wider political environment.

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