A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order preventing the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from conducting disciplinary proceedings against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central.
The order was granted on Tuesday following an ex parte application filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team.
The incident that led to the legal action occurred on February 20, when the Kogi Central lawmaker clashed with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seat allocation. Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected her assigned seat, openly defying Akpabio’s directive. She also raised a point of order multiple times despite being overruled, a move that sparked controversy in the Senate.
During plenary, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, representing Ekiti Central, expressed that the incident had damaged the Senate’s reputation, noting that attempts to clarify the situation had failed, as public perception had already been shaped by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions.
In response to the clash, the Senate referred the matter to the Ethics Committee for disciplinary review. This decision was made during last Tuesday’s plenary session, following the adoption of a report presented by Senator Adaramodu. After a voice vote led by Akpabio, Senators unanimously agreed to refer the matter for further examination.
The Senate President tasked the Ethics Committee with reviewing the incident in its entirety and reporting back to the Senate.
The legal restraining order now places a hold on the committee’s ability to proceed with any disciplinary action until further notice from the court.