Akpabio challenges court order reinstating Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed an suit at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, contesting the Federal High Court’s judgment ordering the reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended for six months from the Senate.

The high court had on July 4 ruled that the suspension of the senator was “excessive”, ordering her immediate reinstatement and awarding ₦5 million fine against her over a social media post made during the pendency of the suit.

In an 11-ground appeal submitted through his legal team, Akpabio is urging the appellate court to set aside the judgment, arguing that the trial court overstepped its jurisdiction by interfering in what he described as the internal affairs of the National Assembly—a domain he claims is shielded from judicial intervention under Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution.

Akpabio also faulted the court’s dismissal of his preliminary objection, which challenged the admissibility of the suit on procedural grounds. He maintained that the court erred by issuing orders that directly interfered with parliamentary procedures, including plenary actions such as suspensions and resolutions.

“Actions taken during plenary, including suspensions and resolutions, are protected by the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and should not be subject to litigation,” the Senate President argued in the appeal.

He further claimed that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawsuit was premature, arguing that she failed to exhaust internal redress mechanisms, particularly by not approaching the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, as required under the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 (as amended).

READ ALSO: For second time in 2025, Nigeria meets OPEC’s output quota of 1.5m bpd

In addition, Akpabio accused the trial court of violating his right to fair hearing by raising and ruling on issues that were never submitted by either party—specifically, the notion that her suspension was excessive—without granting both parties an opportunity to respond.

The dispute dates back to February 20, when Akpabio reassigned Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat, prompting her protest. The matter was subsequently referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee, which demanded an apology.

Following her refusal and a subsequent television interview in which she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, the committee recommended and enforced a six-month suspension for “unruly behaviour.” The suspension came with loss of access to her office, salary, and official security.

Adding to her legal troubles, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is also facing criminal charges filed by the Attorney General of the Federation in two separate courts. The charges, filed in May, center on alleged defamation relating to her accusations of an assassination plot involving Akpabio and former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello.

The appeal is now set to test the boundaries of judicial review over legislative conduct and could have far-reaching implications for the autonomy of the National Assembly.

The post Akpabio challenges court order reinstating Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.