Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) West Idahosa has condemned the Senate’s decision to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) despite a court order restraining the chamber from taking any disciplinary action against her.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Idahosa described the Senate’s disobedience to judicial orders under Senate President Godswill Akpabio as a damaging precedent.
“The most damaging is the blatant disobedience to a court order. It is very untenable for a law-making body,” he stated.
Citing Section 4, Subsection 8 of the 1999 Constitution, Idahosa argued that the Senate’s actions were unconstitutional, as legislative conduct is subject to judicial review.
He further referenced the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act, stating that courts generally hold that lawmakers cannot be suspended for more than 14 days.
According to Idahosa, Akpoti-Uduaghan was not given a fair hearing, and the Senate’s decision appeared predetermined.
“A few days ago, a court order was served on the Senate and the Ethics Committee through the Clerk. Despite this, they rushed a committee report and went ahead with the suspension, even in the senator’s absence,” he said.
He added that the Senate’s refusal to comply with judicial directives undermines the judiciary’s authority.
“If I were the judge and the appropriate applications were brought before me, I would take strong measures to uphold the court’s authority,” he declared.
The longstanding dispute between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio escalated on March 6, 2025, when the Senate suspended the female senator for six months.
The move followed her allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of office against the Senate President, which she made after a seat reassignment conflict on February 20, 2025.
Akpabio denied the allegations, while Akpoti-Uduaghan responded by filing a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against him. Meanwhile, the Senate referred her to its disciplinary committee.
Seeking legal redress, the Kogi senator obtained a restraining order from the Federal High Court in Abuja, preventing the Senate from proceeding with disciplinary actions. The case is set for hearing on March 10, 2025.
On March 5, 2025, the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed her sexual harassment petition against Akpabio, citing procedural and legal constraints.
Undeterred, she resubmitted the petition the following day.
This is not the first clash between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In July 2024, the Senate President publicly apologized to her over a controversial remark he made about her at a nightclub.
