Comfort Isaac
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed June 27, 2025, to deliver judgment in a suit instituted against the National Assembly by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan challenging her suspension by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition over alleged gross misconduct.
Akpoti, who represents the Kogi Central had instituted the suit against the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Nedamwen Imasuen.
After taking arguments for and against the suit,
the presiding judge, Justice Binta Fatima Nyako fixed the June 27 date for judgment in the matter and informed parties that on the judgment date, she would also deliver a ruling on the contempt applications brought against Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio.
Counsel for the Senate, Paul Daudu, SAN, had accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of acting in breach of an order of the court by posting a satirical apology on her Facebook page.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team also alleged that Akpabio did same with comments by Olisah Agbakogba and Monday Ubani (both senior lawyers), in his favour, during media appearances.
The actual order of 4th April by Justice Nyako stopped Akpoti-Uduaghan, Akpabio, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Imasuen from granting media interviews or making social media posts relating to the case while it remained pending before the court.
While adopting the documents that contain the closing arguments, counsel for Akpoti-Uduaghan, Michael Numan, urged the court to grant his client’s relief by reversing the Senate Committee’s decision. He also countered the allegations of contempt of court.
In their arguments, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions, all challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
They further urged the court to dismiss the case instituted by the suspended Kogi Central senator.
