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Senate Right in Suspending Natasha, Says Appeal Court
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Monday, affirmed the decision of the Senate to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti, holding that the red chamber acted within its powers.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel in Natasha’s appeal against the Clerk of the National Assembly and three others, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1107/2025, the appellate court ruled that the suspension did not breach Akpoti-Uduaghan’s parliamentary privileges or constitutional rights.
However, the court set aside the contempt proceedings and a N5m fine imposed on the lawmaker over a satirical apology she directed at the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Abba Muhammed held that the Senate President acted within the Rules by denying Akpoti-Uduaghan the opportunity to speak during plenary on February 20, 2025, as she was not seated in her officially allotted seat.
The court noted that the Senate President is empowered under the Senate Rules to reallocate seats to lawmakers, and that members are only permitted to speak from their designated seats.
The appellate court held that Senator Natasha was wrong on the February 20, 2025, incident when the Senate President allocated a new seat to her and refused to accept the order.
The Court also said that Natasha’s claim that she was not given prior notice of the change of seat was unattainable because there was no provision for prior notification as she claimed.
In the unanimous judgement, Justice Mohammed said the Federal High Court, in the first instance, ought to have declined jurisdiction in entertaining the sui,t having discovered that the Senate acted in line with the provision that permits it to suspend any erring member.
The Appeal Court said, Senator Natasha, upon being told of the reallocation of her seat, ought to have moved to the new seat, adding that the Senate was right to enforce order six, following her persistent refusal to obey the Senate order.
To worsen the situation, the Court of Appeal held that the refusal of Senator Natasha to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Petition and Privileges did not help her matter.
Similarly, the Court of Appeal also dismissed Natasha’s claim that her suspension was carried out in violation of an order by Justice Obiora Egwuatu ,adding that, since Justice Egwuatu recused himself and the matter started afresh by Justice Binta Nyako, the order of Justice Egwuatu was no longer subsisting.
However, the court faulted the contempt charge against Senator Natasha and the N5 million fine imposed on her by Justice Binta Nyako.
According to the Court of Appeal, the failure by the trial court to serve forms 48 and 49 on the Kogi Senator was fatal.
The Court, therefore, set aside the contempt proceedings and the N5 million fine imposed on the Kogi Senator.
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