…Fines Her ₦5 Million for Contempt
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Nigerian Senate to immediately recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended for six months following her face-off with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Delivering the judgment on Friday, Justice Nyako ruled that the suspension was excessive and amounted to denying the people of Kogi Central their constitutional right to representation.
The judge faulted both Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, describing them as overreaching and open-ended, as they failed to provide a maximum time limit for suspension of lawmakers.
While affirming that the Senate had the power to discipline its members, Justice Nyako noted that such punishment must not be disproportionate or oppressive. “The Senate has the power to discipline its members, but it must not be excessive to the point of depriving constituents of their right to be represented,” she held.
The court also ruled that the Senate President acted within his powers when he denied Senator Natasha the opportunity to speak during plenary, citing her absence from her designated seat. The court, however, ordered her to tender an apology to the Senate for her conduct and to publish the apology in two national dailies within seven days.
Additionally, Justice Nyako imposed a ₦5 million fine on the lawmaker for contempt of court, citing her widely circulated satirical letter addressed to Akpabio as a violation of the court’s earlier order restraining parties from making public comments or media appearances regarding the ongoing suit.
Background to the Dispute
The crisis between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio reached a boiling point on 6 March 2025, when the Senate suspended the Kogi Central lawmaker after she accused the Senate President of sexual harassment and abuse of office following a seat dispute during plenary on 20 February 2025.
Akpabio denied the sexual harassment claims, while the Senate referred the matter to its disciplinary committee. On 5 March 2025, the committee dismissed the female senator’s petition as “dead on arrival,” citing procedural breaches. She, however, re-submitted the petition the next day, shortly before her suspension.
This was not the first public clash between the two senators. In July 2024, Akpabio had apologised to Akpoti-Uduaghan over what he called a “joke” he made likening her to a “nightclub girl,” an apology many deemed half-hearted.
Natasha’s Satirical Letter
In the satirical letter that earned her a contempt charge, Senator Natasha wrote in part:
“It is with the deepest sarcasm and utmost theatrical regret that I tender this apology for the grievous crime of possessing dignity and self-respect in your most exalted presence… I now realize the catastrophic consequences of my actions: legislation delayed, tempers flared, and the tragic bruising of egos so large they require their own postcodes…
“Please find it in your magnanimous heart — somewhere buried deep beneath layers of entitlement — to forgive this stubborn woman who mistakenly believed that her seat in the Senate was earned through elections, not erections.”
The court viewed this letter, which was widely shared on social media, as a direct breach of its order prohibiting public commentary on the ongoing case.
Legal Proceedings
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, challenging her suspension and seeking protection from what she described as a politically motivated witch-hunt.
The defendants in the suit included the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, and Senator Neda Imasuen, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
Her lead counsel, Michael Numa, SAN, urged the court to uphold the reliefs sought, especially as the Senate had taken disciplinary action while the matter was already before the court.
It is also worth noting that Justice Obiora Egwuatu had earlier recused himself from the matter over allegations of bias. The case was subsequently reassigned by Chief Judge John Tsoho to Justice Nyako.
With this ruling, the court has effectively reinstated the suspended lawmaker, but not without consequence, as her return to the Senate must be preceded by public contrition and payment of the court-imposed fine.
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