By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
The National Assembly has rejected a formal request for the immediate reinstatement of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that the Federal High Court’s judgment of July 4 did not compel her recall.
In a letter dated July 14 and signed by Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation and Counselling for the Clerk to the National Assembly, the legislature informed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lead counsel, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), that the court merely issued an advisory, not a binding order, on the senator’s suspension.
The letter clarified that the judgment in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan v. Clerk to the National Assembly & 3 Ors, did not mandate the Senate or its leadership to take any specific action.
“From our summary of the judgment order, there is no order made on July 4, 2025, by Hon. Justice B.F.N. Nyako for the Senate, President of the Senate or National Assembly to comply with,” the letter stated.
According to the National Assembly’s legal department, the ruling “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.”
The letter urged her legal team to advise the senator to await the Senate’s discretionary action.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been suspended since May 2025 over allegations of “un-parliamentary conduct” and “gross misconduct.”
Critics claim the move was politically motivated, citing her vocal opposition to alleged budget irregularities affecting her district.
Her legal team had challenged the suspension, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of her constituents’ right to representation.
On July 4, Justice Nyako ruled in what many legal experts interpreted as a favourable judgment for the senator.
Although the court stopped short of issuing a mandamus to compel the Senate, it warned that her continued exclusion disenfranchised her constituents and urged Senate leadership to reconsider its stance.
Despite the court’s guidance, the Senate has yet to act on the judgment.
This has sparked a backlash from civil society organisations and democracy advocates who warn that prolonged suspension of elected lawmakers threatens Nigeria’s democratic fabric.
A source close to the senator described the National Assembly’s response as “disappointing but not unexpected,” confirming that further legal action, including a possible appeal or contempt proceedings, is under consideration.
Akpoti-Uduaghan has largely remained silent since the ruling, aside from a brief statement on July 5, in which she thanked her supporters and reaffirmed her commitment to her constituents.
Her lawyers have made multiple attempts to secure her return to the Senate, but the Chamber remains unmoved.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has not issued any public comment on the matter. However, insiders hint at internal divisions within the chamber over the path forward.
With mounting pressure from constituents, legal advocacy groups, and the looming possibility of renewed court battles, the Senate may be forced to revisit its position.
Unless a binding judicial order is issued, any reversal of her suspension will likely be viewed as a political decision rather than a legal compulsion.
The case has evolved beyond a personal legal battle, now serving as a critical test of legislative accountability, judicial authority, and democratic integrity in Nigeria.
