The Senate resumed plenary yesterday amidst lingering tension over the recall of the Kogi Central senator, but embattled politician Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was noticeably absent despite reports that she would resume her duties.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had last Friday nullified the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan and ordered the Senate to recall her.
However, the Senate on Sunday declared that it would not take any immediate action on the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan until it receives the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment delivered in Abuja.
Akpoti-Uduaghan reportedly told her constituents, while flagging off the construction of two state-of-the-art smart markets in Okene and Okehi Local Government Areas over the weekend, that she would storm the Senate chamber on Tuesday.
Akpoti-Uduaghan explained that she decided to postpone her planned return to the Senate for legislative duties.
In an interview on African Independent Television (AIT) yesterday, she said the move was based on legal counsel and in deference to due process following a court ruling that overturned her suspension.
She further stated that she would wait for the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment before taking any further steps.
Meanwhile, there was a noticeable increase in security presence around the complex, with operational vehicles stationed and thorough checks conducted on all vehicles entering and exiting the premises.
•Senate counters House claims, says six concurrence bills passed last week
However, in a firm rebuttal to allegations of legislative inaction, the Senate declared on Tuesday that it had approved six concurrence bills from the House of Representatives just the previous week, pushing back against claims of delay and reiterating its commitment to inter-chamber cooperation.
Speaking during plenary at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele both dismissed accusations from the House as unfounded, emphasising that the red chamber remains steadfast in treating all House-passed bills with the seriousness they deserve.
The clarification followed a resolution by the House of Representatives to suspend further consideration of Senate-originated bills, citing a backlog of over 140 House bills that the upper chamber had allegedly neglected. Many of these were reportedly sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Senator Akpabio, however, denied any systemic delay on the part of the Senate, stressing that concurrence bills from the House are a priority.
“It takes two hands to clap,” Akpabio stated. “We have been attending to the bills from the House of Representatives. We will continue to work together in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.”
Senator Bamidele further backed Akpabio’s stance, revealing that the first two items on Tuesday’s order paper were House concurrence bills and that six had been passed by the Senate just the previous week.
“For the record, we have been doing what we are supposed to do,” Bamidele said. “We concurred to six House bills last week alone. While we embrace reciprocity, this does not translate to rubber-stamping.”
He added that legislative scrutiny remains a constitutional obligation, noting, “We will continue to consider concurrence bills from the House as they consider ours—always in line with the national interest and our responsibilities under the 1999 Constitution.”
The exchange marks a rare open disagreement between Nigeria’s two legislative chambers and signals possible disruptions to the legislative process.
•Vows continued partnership in national interest despite rift
However, Senate leaders were quick to strike a conciliatory tone, affirming that cooperation with the House remains non-negotiable.
Their remarks appeared designed to de-escalate rising tensions and reassure the public of the National Assembly’s collective dedication to its legislative mandate.
