The Nigerian Senate has stated it will not immediately reinstate suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, despite a recent court order mandating her recall.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said the upper chamber is awaiting the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court judgment before taking any official action. He emphasized that the Senate must first review the full content of the judgment before making a decision.
“The Senate had applied for the CTC since Monday. Once we receive and review it, we will comply with the content of the court order,” Adaramodu told the News Agency of Nigeria.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, for six months following allegations of sexual harassment she made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Her suspension followed a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen (APC – Edo South).
Following the suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Binta Nyako ruled last week that the Senate must recall her. However, the court also found her in contempt and ordered her to pay a ₦5 million fine.
Adaramodu stressed that while the Senate respects judicial decisions, it must operate within the framework of its own Standing Orders and internal legislative procedures.
“The Senate will sit and consider the contents of the CTC. It is not about defying the court; it is about following due legislative process,” he said.
He criticized public reactions suggesting that the Senate should automatically reinstate the suspended lawmaker, noting that such expectations disregard how the legislature functions.
“Possibly, what some people were expecting was that anybody can disobey rules and the Senate must do nothing. That’s not how a functioning legislature works.”
Adaramodu further explained that the 180-day suspension includes both sitting and non-sitting days, and that the Senate has discretion under its rules to determine the duration of a suspension.