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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been prevented from resuming duties by the Nigerian Senate.
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Red Chamber says suspension runs until the court rules on her appeal, as Acting Clerk confirms no resumption until judicial process is concluded.
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Senator Natasha had claimed her six-month penalty expired on September 4.
The Senate has rejected the attempt by Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to resume legislative duties, insisting that her six-month suspension remains valid until the Court of Appeal delivers judgment on her case.
The Red Chamber, through a letter signed by Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr Yahaya Danzaria, said her request to return on September 4, 2025, could not be granted since the matter is still before the courts.
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The clarification came after Akpoti-Uduaghan notified the leadership of her intention to resume, arguing that her suspension had lapsed.
The Senate, however, maintained that the penalty began on March 6, 2025, and could not be lifted administratively while the legal challenge she instituted remained sub judice.
Her suspension was the outcome of a Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions recommendation, which accused her of insubordination after she resisted a seat change during plenary.
The decision also stripped her of salary, aides, and office privileges.
Akpoti-Uduaghan has consistently claimed her ordeal was politically motivated, linking it to a petition she filed against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Though she secured a favourable court ruling earlier, the leadership of the Senate held that her suspension would stand until the appeal is resolved.
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Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, disclosed that she was currently on vacation in London but had planned to return later in September to attend plenary when lawmakers reconvene.
Her earlier attempt to enter the National Assembly in July ended in confrontation, as security operatives barred her from the premises despite the presence of supporters.
