The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has ruled that the Senate acted within its constitutional powers when it suspended the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for misconduct.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel, the appellate court held that the suspension did not breach the senator’s parliamentary privileges or violate her fundamental rights.
However, the court set aside the contempt proceedings and the ₦5 million fine imposed on Akpoti-Uduaghan over a satirical apology she directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Abba Muhammed held that the Senate President acted within the rules when he denied the Kogi lawmaker the opportunity to speak during plenary on February 20, 2025, as she was not seated in the officially allocated position.
The court affirmed that the Senate President is empowered under Senate Rules to allocate seats to lawmakers and that members are only permitted to speak from seats formally assigned to them.
Details later…
