Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio over “the failure to reverse the patently unlawful suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the purported suspension is based solely on the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression.”
Mr Akpabio is sued for himself and on behalf of all members of the Senate.
The Senate recently suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, after she reportedly ‘spoke without permission’ and ‘refused her new seat in the Senate chamber.’ Her salary and allowances have also been withheld for the duration of the suspension, and she has been barred from identifying herself as a senator.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/498/2025 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to rescind the unlawful suspension of Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, reinstate her, and fully restore all her legislative rights, entitlements, and privileges.”
SERAP is seeking: “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from further suspending or taking any disciplinary action against Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for the peaceful exercise of her fundamental human rights.”
SERAP is also seeking “a declaration that the application of sections 6(1)(2) of the Senate Rules, the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended), to suspend Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan violates her human rights and deprives her constituents of their right to political participation.”
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “Granting this application would serve the public interest and promote respect for the rights of everyone in the National Assembly.”
SERAP is arguing that, “No one should ever be punished for ‘speaking without permission’. Being a senator does not deprive Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of her fundamental human rights. The Senate should be setting an example by upholding the rule of law and promoting and protecting human rights, not stamping them out.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “Punishing Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for peacefully expressing herself is unlawful, unnecessary and disproportionate. Her suspension would also have a disproportionate chilling effect on the ability of other members of the Senate to freely express themselves and exercise their human rights.”
According to SERAP, “Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension is based solely on the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression in the Senate. All the other grounds cited by the Senate for her suspension seem to be a pretext to further restrict her fundamental human rights.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “Suspending Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression has made her opinion in the Senate ineffective.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs Adelanke Aremo, read in part: “No member of the Senate should suffer any consequences for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression.
“Any application of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 by the Senate must conform with constitutional and international human rights norms and standards relating to freedom of expression and should not jeopardise the right itself.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
