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Federal High Court declares Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension unconstitutional and orders her reinstatement.
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Judge rules Senate violated Kogi Central constituents’ right to representation and warns against flawed disciplinary procedures.
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Lawmaker fined ₦5m for Facebook post deemed contemptuous of court’s interim order.
Suspended Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is set to return to the Senate on Tuesday after a Federal High Court in Abuja declared her suspension unlawful and ordered her immediate reinstatement.
The lawmaker confirmed her planned return in a video shared on social media Sunday, thanking supporters for standing by her during the six-month political battle.
This was contained in Friday’s ruling by Justice Binta Nyako, who described the suspension as excessive, unconstitutional, and procedurally flawed.
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“We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God,” Akpoti-Uduaghan said in the video, which quickly went viral.
Justice Nyako ruled that the Senate’s disciplinary action deprived the people of Kogi Central of their constitutional right to representation and warned that prolonged suspensions undermine democratic governance.
The judge also criticised the Red Chamber’s internal rules, urging the National Assembly to review its disciplinary processes to ensure fair hearing and adherence to constitutional principles.
However, the court found Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt over a Facebook post described as a satirical apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The post violated an interim injunction barring public commentary on the ongoing suit.
READ ALSO: Court Finds Senator Natasha Guilty of Contempt, Fines Her N5m
Justice Nyako imposed a ₦5m fine on the lawmaker for breaching the court’s order.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March following a heated plenary session over seating arrangements, a controversy that deepened when she later accused Akpabio of sexual harassment during a live television interview.
