Court Sets June 27 for Judgment in Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Suspension Case

The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 27 to deliver judgment on a high-profile case involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is challenging her suspension from the Nigerian Senate.

Presiding judge Justice Binta Nyako made the announcement on Tuesday after hearing from the legal teams representing both Akpoti-Uduaghan and the defendants in the suit — which includes the Nigerian Senate, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics.

The court will rule on two key issues: a contempt claim filed in the case, and a preliminary objection raised by the Senate President, who is questioning the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.

“I want to believe that all processes are in,” said Justice Nyako during the proceedings. “What I am going to do is to first of all look at the issues of contempt and make a decision on it. Then I will look at the notices of preliminary objection. If they succeed, that is the end of the case; and if they don’t, I will look at the originating summons filed by the plaintiff.”

The legal dispute began in March when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a suit seeking to halt the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions from launching disciplinary proceedings against her.

On March 4, Justice Obiora Egwuatu issued an interim order restraining the Senate from taking any disciplinary action, following an ex parte application by the senator’s legal team.

However, just two days later, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, citing alleged gross misconduct. The suspension came after the upper chamber adopted a report from the ethics committee recommending disciplinary action.

Then on March 19, Justice Egwuatu vacated his earlier restraining order, clearing the way for the suspension to proceed.

In a further twist, Egwuatu recused himself from the case on March 25, instructing that the matter be reassigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. The case was subsequently transferred to Justice Nyako.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was present in court for Tuesday’s session, has remained vocal about what she describes as a politically motivated suspension.