Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has announced her return to legislative duties at the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 22. This decision comes despite her six-month suspension, which a Federal High Court recently deemed “excessive.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, after the Senate leadership accused her of violating Standing Orders, including speaking without recognition, refusing to take her designated seat, and engaging in “unruly and disruptive conduct.” The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions had recommended her suspension.
However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and her supporters have maintained that the suspension was politically motivated. They argue it was a direct response to her earlier accusation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, viewing it as an attempt to silence her as one of the few outspoken female lawmakers.
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Following her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged the decision in the Federal High Court in Abuja. On July 4, 2025, Justice Binta Nyako ruled that the suspension was excessive and lacked legal justification.
Despite this ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio filed an appeal on July 14, seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision. This appeal, filed at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, has 11 grounds of appeal but does not currently halt the effect of the initial ruling.
Speaking at a youth empowerment event in her constituency on Saturday, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed her return, stating, “I have written to the Senate again telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd, which is on Tuesday, by the special grace of God.” She clarified that the court’s decision, while not an explicit order, provides the basis for her return.
She also highlighted that while her suspension limited her participation in plenary and bill introduction, she remained actively involved in representing her constituents through oversight and representation functions. “Whereby I identify the problems and the challenges of my community, and I make sure I present them and have them captured in the federal budget. And I have done pretty well with that. Of course, I do miss putting up my bills there, but it didn’t stop me from working,” she explained.
