The Senate has outlined conditions for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to return to the red chamber following a court judgment that nullified her suspension.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered her reinstatement after declaring her six-month suspension unlawful.
However, the Senate says her return will only happen after she fulfils certain conditions, including issuing a public apology.
Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu said, “Which judgment are we appealing when they (the court) said the Senate has the right to discipline its erring members?
“After the restitution, the Senate will now sit again and consider the content of that restitution, and that will inform our next line of action.
“The onus is no more on us now; it is already on her doorstep to go and apologise. Once she does that, then the Senate will sit and determine how to deal with her matter.”
The Senate suspended Natasha in March over allegations she made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, including claims of seat relocation and sexual harassment, allegations Akpabio denied.
Delivering judgment, Justice Binta Nyako said the suspension was excessive and amounted to denying her constituents representation.
“The court is not saying that the Senate lacks the power to discipline a member. However, such sanctions must not negate the constitutional right of constituents to be represented in parliament,” the judge stated.
The court also found Natasha guilty of contempt over a Facebook post she made during the suspension saga.
“The court is satisfied that the publication is related to the subject matter before this court and thus constitutes contempt,” Justice Nyako held.
She ordered the senator to apologise in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days. The court also imposed a fine of N5 million on her.
Meanwhile, the Senate’s legal team said they would study the full judgment before deciding on further legal steps.
Lead counsel Paul Daudu, said, “The Senate, as an institution, has the right to discipline its members. The issue of her return is an obiter, not a binding part of the judgment.”
Former vice president Atiku Abubakar hailed the ruling on Friday, describing Natasha as a brave lawmaker who stood up against injustice.
“I commend Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the courage in lifting the obnoxious suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central). I also hail Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan for challenging the illegality of her suspension by not sleeping on her rights in a chamber where women are already vulnerable,” he wrote on X.
Natasha was suspended on March 6, two days after the court issued an interim order restraining the Senate from taking any action against her.
She had accused Akpabio of bias and manipulation after claiming her seat was moved without her consent and that she was being targeted for rejecting advances allegedly made by him in 2023, an allegation Akpabio described as false and a dent on the Senate’s image.
Natasha, a lawyer and activist, was elected senator under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023 after a rerun election ordered by the Court of Appeal.
She previously contested for governor of Kogi State and is married to Dan Uduaghan, a former House of Representatives member.
