The Court of Appeal in Abuja on February 9 upheld the six-month suspension of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for misconduct, ruling that the Senate acted within its powers.
A three-member panel unanimously decided that her parliamentary privileges and constitutional rights remained intact during the suspension, imposed on March 6, 2025, after a clash with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seat arrangements and violations of the Senate Rules 2023 (as amended).
The court quashed contempt proceedings and a N5 million fine against her, stemming from a satirical apology to Akpabio.
In the lead judgment by Justice A.B. Muhammed, the panel affirmed that Akpabio rightly denied her the floor on February 20, 2025, as she was not seated in her officially allocated position. Senate rules empower the President to assign seats, and members may only speak from them.
