- She described the upper legislative chamber as a body of lawbreakers with no respect for the judiciary and the Nigerian constitution.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has frowned at the brazen disregard for the ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction by the Senate.
She described the upper legislative chamber as a body of lawbreakers with no respect for the judiciary and the Nigerian constitution.
She made the scathing remark on Tuesday as she was blocked from entering the Senate chambers after she returned to the parliament following the annulment of the six-month suspension handed to her by the Senate.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s decision to resume her legislative duties comes after a Federal High Court ruling on July 4, 2025, which declared her suspension unconstitutional and excessive.
The court’s ruling ordered her reinstatement, a judgment the Senator had formally communicated to the Senate through two distinct letters, indicating her intention to resume on Tuesday, July 22.
But the embattled lawmaker’s attempt to resume plenary was forestalled after she was denied access to the chamber, sparking a new legal imbroglio at the National Assembly.
She accused the Senate leadership of outright defiance of a judicial pronouncement, declaring that the “Senate has become lawbreakers.”
Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly gate, Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed her resolve to reclaim her seat.
“It’s about me and a duly elected senator walking into the chambers to resume my constituted duties as I was elected and mandated by the good people of Kogi Central and INEC,” she stated, emphasising her mandate from her constituents.
Her attempt to enter the chambers was met with a significant deployment of security personnel.
“It’s unfortunate that we got in today, which is the 22nd of July, 2025, having duly notified the Senate through two letters that I will be resuming functions today.
“As a matter of fact, I’m disappointed on two grounds. One is the number of armed policemen that we met outside, you know, all well kitted with guns, who charged at a female senator who is unarmed.
“The second thing is the fact that the Senate, under the leadership of Akpabio, of course, have decided to become law breakers, and by denying the entrance into the chambers to resume my team,” Akpoti-Uduaghan asserted, directly questioning the integrity of the legislative body.
Commenting on what she described as attempts to “twist a narrative” by the Senate’s team, Akpoti-Uduaghan clarified the legal implications of the court’s decision.
Citing Section 318 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, she explained that a court’s “decision” encompasses more than just an “order,” including judicial decrees, sentences, convictions, and recommendations.
She argued that even if the court’s pronouncement was termed a “recommendation,” it is still a binding judicial decision.
Further buttressing her point, she referenced Section 287, Subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution, which explicitly states that “decisions… of any court” are binding on “every authority
Discussion about this post