Abuja, Nigeria – The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, March 10, adjourned the hearing of a suit brought by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is challenging the Senate’s decision to refer her to the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee for probe.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, presiding over the case, postponed the matter after respondents—including the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Nigerian Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the committee’s chairman—raised concerns that they had not been properly served with the necessary documents. The judge ordered that these defendants be duly served and rescheduled the proceedings for March 25.
The legal dispute stems from a series of controversial developments involving the Kogi Central Senator. On March 5, Justice Egwuatu granted an ex parte application filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, effectively preventing the Senate committee from proceeding with any disciplinary measures against her.
This order followed the committee’s investigation into allegations of misconduct, which, despite the Senator’s absence at a crucial session, led to a recommendation for her suspension—a recommendation that was acted upon with a six-month suspension.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan initiated the suit after receiving an invitation to appear before the committee. The invitation followed a heated exchange on February 20 between her and Senate President Akpabio, after which the Senate moved a motion referring her to the Ethics Committee for a probe.
In a recent interview with ARISE TV, the Senator alleged that Akpabio had made inappropriate advances toward her. She claimed that after she rebuffed these advances, her Senate motions—especially those related to the Ajaokuta Steel Company—were deliberately ignored.
Represented by her lawyer, Sanusi Musa, Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the court to rule that any actions taken against her during the pendency of the suit be declared “null, void, and of no effect.”
With the rescheduled court date on March 25, the legal battle over the Senate probe into the Senator’s conduct is set to continue, keeping a close watch on the balance between internal Senate discipline and the rights of its members.
