Suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has vowed to seek legal redress at the appellate court over what she describes as a fraudulent and unconstitutional suspension from the Nigerian Senate.

 

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday after being denied entry into the National Assembly Complex by security operatives, Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that she is no longer under suspension, citing the flawed procedure and a subsisting court judgment in her favour.

 

The senator arrived the National Assembly on foot under the rain, after parking her vehicle outside the premises. She was accompanied by a crowd of supporters and activists, including prominent rights advocate Aisha Yesufu. The move followed a heavy security blockade at the complex’s main entrance.

 

“Even the suspension, ab initio, was fraudulent. The document that recommended my suspension wasn’t even attested to by committee members—just a photocopy of an attendance sheet passed off as their signatures,” she said.

 

 

 

Akpoti-Uduaghan clarified that contrary to media reports, the Senate’s appeal does not automatically void the court’s judgment that had nullified her suspension.

 

“What the Senate appealed was the contempt ruling, not the suspension judgment itself. The contempt was based on a satirical Facebook post the court viewed as disrespectful—but that’s separate from the main suspension issue,” she explained.

 

 

 

She stressed that allowing the situation to drag unchecked could effectively allow the Senate to punish her for the full six months, especially with the National Assembly likely to go on recess from Wednesday until late September.

 

“If we turn our backs and go home, the National Assembly goes on recess tomorrow. That means I’d have practically served the full six-month suspension, which is unjust and unacceptable,” she added.

 

 

 

Akpoti-Uduaghan reiterated her position that her suspension was not only politically motivated but also procedurally defective, lacking due process as required by the Senate’s own rules and the constitution.

 

“As of now, I’m no longer suspended, and I will approach the Court of Appeal for clarity and justice,” she declared.

 

 

 

The face-off between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate leadership, particularly Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has stirred political and legal tension, with rights groups and civic activists watching closely.

 

Her attempt to resume legislative duties, despite the blockade, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing legal and political standoff over parliamentary discipline, due process, and constitutional rights.