Following the expiration of the six-month suspension slammed on the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, by the Senate, the Labour Party (LP) has demanded her immediate reinstatement, citing democratic principles and her constituents’ rights.
The party made this demand in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni.
This is just as two human rights lawyers, Femi Falana (SAN) and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), have advised the Senate to allow the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to resume duty, accusing it of overreaching itself with its decision.
The suspended senator had, in a letter dated August 28, notified the National Assembly of her intention to resume on September 4, which, according to her, marked the end of her six-month suspension.
But in a reply dated September 4, acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Danzaria, said her suspension would remain in force, pending the outcome of the appeal she instituted against the Senate at the Court of Appeal.
Reacting, the Labour Party said it was made aware of the position of an American diplomat on the face-off between the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
LP noted that the US diplomat had highlighted a letter by a Gambian lawmaker, Fatoumatta Njai, who condemned the Nigerian Senate’s defiance of a court order reinstating Akpoti-Uduaghan.
LP said: “In the view of the American diplomat, the ‘abuse of the rule of law by the Nigerian Senate against a subsisting court judgment which, since July 4, 2025, nullified the suspension of Senator Natasha and implicitly ordered her unhindered return to the senate, is shameful for your country,” referring to Nigeria.
LP added: “The Gambian lawmaker, Hon. Fattoumatta Njai of the Gender and Children’s Welfare Committee, who is also a member of the Pan-Africa Parliament, did not just speak. She wrote her thoughts in fire for the world and posterity to bear record.
“Condemning the imperious power play by the Nigerian Senate President and his National Assembly secretariat, Hon. Njai of The Gambia urged the Nigerian Senate to immediately reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“In her letter dated September 9, 2025, which the US diplomat shared, Hon. Fattoumatta Njai pointed out that Sen. Natasha’s prolonged suspension by the Akpabio senate disobeys the court judgment of July 4, 2025, which unequivocally overturned her six-month suspension.
“Stating that the Nigerian Senate’s disobedience of a court ruling undermines West Africa’s democratic civilisation, the Gambian lawmaker condemned the Nigerian Senate’s refusal to admit Akpoti-Uduaghan back to the senate under any guise,” LP added.
Also reacting, Falana condemned the leadership of the Senate under Akpabio and the federal government for disobeying court judgments and downplaying the rule of law.
Falana charged President Bola Tinubu to suspend his vacation and return to Nigeria to prevent the country from collapsing into a state of anarchy.
In a statement he signed, he said the situation where court judgments are disregarded by some influential people threatens adherence to the rule of law in Nigeria.
“President Bola Tinubu should prevent the state from collapsing by suspending his vacation and halting the inexorable descent to anarchy and chaos in the country,” he said.
He charged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to initiate measures to prevent such continuous disobedience of court orders.
The human rights lawyer also described the Senate under Akpabio’s leadership as the most notorious.
Falana noted that the Senate has treated Court verdicts with disdain under Akpabio’s leadership.
Falana said, “Judgments of courts are disobeyed by governments and powerful individuals. The most notorious institution is the Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio.”
On his part, Adegboruwa accused the Senate of being vindictive and petty.
He argued that since the six months have expired, she should be allowed to resume automatically.
He noted that failure to allow her to resume is indirectly extending the suspension beyond six months, without a valid resolution of the Senate to that effect, stressing that the case pending in court cannot be the reason to extend her suspension illegally.
According to the human rights lawyer, the court case being referred to relates to the six-month suspension, as to its validity and constitutionality.
“She has already served the six months in full, and any determination by the court can only relate to the validity of the suspension and her entitlements, but certainly, the sessions of the Senate that she missed due to her suspension cannot be reversed forever. In essence, the purpose of the suspension having been fulfilled, no useful purpose will be served to deny her from resuming duties as a senator,” Adegboruwa said.
Chuks Okocha
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