Suspended Nigerian lawmaker Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has issued a formal demand to resume her seat in the Senate, citing a Federal High Court decision that declared her suspension illegal and ordered her reinstatement.
The demand was made in a 16 July letter from her legal counsel, Michael Jonathan, addressed to Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation and Counselling at the National Assembly. The correspondence challenges the Assembly’s 14 July response, which characterised the ruling as non-binding.
Central to the dispute is a judgment delivered in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, which overturned Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension by the Senate’s Ethics Committee. The court, in its verdict, issued 12 clear directives—each beginning with “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED”—concluding that her removal breached constitutional and procedural guidelines.
A particular point of contention is Order 12, which states that the Senate “should recall the Plaintiff.” While Senate officials argue the phrasing gives them discretion, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team maintains that within the full legal context, the language constitutes a binding order.
They cited legal precedent, notably the Ecobank v. Tempo Energy case, to argue that judicial orders retain full force regardless of wording nuances. Furthermore, the team invoked Section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates all governmental institutions to comply with Federal High Court rulings.
“The Constitution is clear—Federal High Court decisions are not optional,” the legal team argued. They warned that any attempt to obstruct her return would be met with legal action.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has stated her intention to resume on 22 July, after the national mourning period for the late President Muhammadu Buhari. Her suspension has been a point of controversy since it was first announced, with critics calling it politically motivated.
