Federal High Court Judge Recuses Himself from Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Case Amid Allegations of Bias
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has withdrawn from the case filed by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, citing allegations of bias levelled against him by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The senator had approached the court to halt disciplinary proceedings initiated against her by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions. Earlier, on March 4, Justice Egwuatu had issued an order restraining the Senate from taking any disciplinary action against Akpoti-Uduaghan, following an ex parte motion filed by her legal team.
Announcing his recusal on Tuesday, Egwuatu stated that the case file would now be transferred to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, for reassignment to another judge. The decision came after the judge acknowledged the presence of legal representatives from both sides in the courtroom.
The defendants in the case include the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics. Justice Egwuatu had earlier directed the defendants to present their arguments within 72 hours of being served the order, explaining why an interlocutory injunction should not be issued against them.
Despite the initial restraining order, the Senate proceeded with disciplinary action, suspending Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months just 48 hours after the court ruling. The decision followed the adoption of a report by the ethics committee, which recommended her suspension.
As part of the Senate’s directive, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s office was ordered to be locked, and she was instructed to surrender all official property in her possession to the Clerk of the National Assembly for the duration of her suspension.
On March 19, in yet another legal twist, Justice Egwuatu vacated his earlier order that had restrained the Senate from carrying out the suspension. The latest development in this high-stakes political and legal battle leaves the embattled senator in a challenging position as she seeks to overturn the Senate’s decision.
