- While the red chamber acknowledged the court’s ruling and the order to reinstate the senator, the upper legislative chamber said its adherence to the court ruling will be contingent on certain conditions.
The Senate has reacted to the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja nullifying the six-month suspension imposed on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the federal law-making body.
While the red chamber acknowledged the court’s ruling and its order to reinstate the senator, the upper legislative chamber said its adherence to the court ruling will be contingent on certain conditions being met by the embattled senator.
Justice Binta Nyako, in her judgment on Friday, ordered the Senate to reinstate the Kogi Central senator, describing her suspension as over the top and high-handed.
In her judgment on the matter, Justice Nyako faulted the provision of Chapter Eight of the Senate Standing Rules as well as Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declaring both as overreaching.
The court stressed that the two legislations failed to establish the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.
Justice Nyako noted that while the Senate had the prerogative to discipline its members, such disciplinary actions must not deny citizens representation in the National Assembly.
The court, however, found Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt over a satirical apology she posted on her Facebook page on April 27.
Reacting to the judgment, the Senate Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said the Red Chamber would not rush to reinstate the embattled senator.
Adaramodu said that the red chamber will not appeal the judgment as the court judgment did not invalidate the Senate’s constitutional powers to discipline its members.
“Which judgment are we appealing when they (the court) said the Senate has the right to discipline its erring members? The court has not ousted the Senate’s statutory right to punish any erring senator.
“It was established that the senator in question erred. The court has already told her to go and do some things, like restitution, so after the restitution, the Senate will now sit again and consider the content of that restitution, and that will inform our next line of action,” Adaramodu said.
The Senate, he explained, would only reconvene to deliberate on the matter after Akpoti-Uduaghan had complied with the court’s directives.
“The onus is no more on us now; it is already on her doorstep to go and apologise. Once she does that, then the Senate will sit and determine how to deal with her matter.
“The first reaction now will not be from us, the court has ruled, so once she takes the step to redress and does what the court has directed her to do, then the Senate will sit and look at the content of her reaction as prescribed by the court,” Adaramodu added
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