The National Assembly has rejected mounting calls to reinstate suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, arguing that the Federal High Court’s recent judgment does not compel such action.
This position follows a July 4 ruling by Justice Binta Nyako, which critics had interpreted as a directive for the Senate to recall the Kogi Central lawmaker. However, the Senate, in a letter dated July 15 and signed by Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation and Counselling on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, dismissed the judgment as “merely advisory.”
The letter was in response to a demand by Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), counsel to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, seeking her immediate reinstatement.
“There is no order made… for the Senate, President of the Senate, or National Assembly to comply with,” the Senate’s response stated.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has also filed a cross-appeal at the Court of Appeal, challenging aspects of the ruling that questioned the Senate’s authority. Filed on July 14, the appeal—led by Akpabio’s legal team headed by Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN)—argues that Justice Nyako exceeded her jurisdiction by making pronouncements on legislative matters not directly raised in the plaintiff’s suit.
Meanwhile, legal analyst Dayo Fadugba has backed the Senate’s stance. He argued that the court did not grant any of the reliefs sought by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and insisted that the interpretation of the judgment as a recall order was inaccurate.
According to Fadugba, “The Senate is under no legal obligation to act on judicial remarks that do not form part of a binding order.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension earlier in the year has remained a contentious issue, sparking legal and political debates. But with the Senate digging in and legal appeals underway, her reinstatement appears unlikely in the near term.
