The Nigerian Senate has again warned the suspended Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to steer clear of the National Assembly premises, insisting there was no binding court order mandating her recall.
This latest warning came after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Saturday, July 19, insisted on resuming plenary duties on Tuesday, July 22, citing a recent Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako in Abuja.
In a counter-statement released on Sunday, July 20, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, dismissed the Kogi Central Senator’s claim while clarifying that the court merely offered an “advisory opinion” and not a compulsory directive to the upper legislative chamber.
“The Senate wishes to reaffirm, for the third time, that there is no subsisting court order mandating the Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan before the expiration of her suspension,” Adaramodu stated
According to the Senate spokesperson, the ruling by Justice Nyako only advised the Senate to consider reviewing its Standing Orders and possibly re-evaluating the suspension, which the court considered “might be excessive.”
He emphasised that the court also held that the Senate did not violate any legal or constitutional provision in its decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“Rather than issuing any mandatory order for her recall, the Honourable Court gave an advisory,” Adaramodu stressed. “It also found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt of court and imposed a ₦5 million fine, along with a directive to issue a public apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page. These directives remain unfulfilled.”
He warned that any attempt by the suspended senator to force her way into the chamber under a “misinterpretation” of the court ruling would be viewed as a breach of legislative order and an affront to the institution’s authority.
“The Senate emphasises once more: there is no enforceable order directing her immediate return to the chamber. The Senate will consider the court’s advisory at the appropriate time and communicate its decision accordingly.”he said
Until such a decision is reached, the Senate urged Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to respect legislative processes and stay away from the chambers.
“She must allow due process to run its full course,” Adaramodu advised.
