A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, nullifying her six-month suspension from the Nigerian Senate.
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Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the ruling on Friday, declared that the Senate overstepped its authority by imposing the suspension. The court held that neither the Senate Standing Orders nor the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act stipulates a specific maximum period for suspension, making the action excessive and without legal backing.
The court maintained that suspending a senator for such a long duration amounts to denying the affected constituency the right to representation, which is contrary to the constitution.
While the court invalidated the suspension, it upheld the decision of Senate President Godswill Akpabio to stop Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from speaking during a plenary session. However, it dismissed Akpabio’s argument that the matter was an internal legislative affair, affirming the court’s jurisdiction over issues concerning fundamental rights and public representation.
