Court Orders Immediate Reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

‎The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, on Friday found Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, guilty of contempt for violating a court-imposed gag order.
‎
‎The ruling stems from a satirical apology posted by the senator on her Facebook page on April 7, 2025, directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which the court deemed a mockery of its directive.
‎
‎The court ordered Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish a formal apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days. Additionally, she was fined ₦5 million for contempt in a civil proceeding.
‎
‎However, the court declined to grant any relief to Akpabio, who had initiated the contempt action, stating that no further orders were warranted in his favor.
‎
‎In a concurrent ruling, Justice Nyako addressed a suit filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan challenging her six-month suspension from the Senate, imposed on February 25, 2025, for alleged gross misconduct and a controversial Facebook post accusing Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of conspiring against her.
‎
‎The court declared the suspension “excessive” and disproportionate, noting that it deprived Kogi Central constituents of representation for nearly an entire legislative year, violating parliamentary fairness. The Senate was ordered to immediately reinstate the senator.
‎
‎The court, however, upheld Akpabio’s decision to deny Akpoti-Uduaghan speaking rights during a plenary session, as she was not in her designated seat, in line with Senate Standing Rules. Justice Nyako criticized Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, describing them as overly punitive in this context.
‎
‎Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan faces additional legal challenges, including a cybercrime case under Nigeria’s amended Cybercrimes Act, filed on May 22, 2025, over alleged defamatory statements against Akpabio and Bello.
‎
‎The trial is scheduled for September 22, 2025. Despite these controversies, the court’s decision to reinstate her underscores the judiciary’s role in balancing parliamentary discipline with the right to representation.
‎
‎