Abuja Court Impose Media Ban On Akpabio, Natasha, Over Senate Suspension Case

The directive also extends to social media, effectively placing a media blackout on all discussions relating to the matter until the court renders its final decision. Justice Binta Nyako issued the ruling on Friday, April 4, following concerns that media engagements could prejudice ongoing proceedings. The order bars all involved parties and their legal representatives from granting interviews, making posts on social platforms, or providing commentary through any form of media.

The court’s decision follows an earlier development where Justice Obiora Egwuatu, the initial presiding judge, recused himself from the case over allegations of bias raised by one of the defendants.

The case was later reassigned to Justice Nyako by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had approached the court to challenge her six-month suspension by the Senate.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, named the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Senate President Akpabio, and Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, as respondents.

In her ex parte application, Akpoti-Uduaghan sought an interim injunction to halt the Senate committee’s investigation into alleged misconduct during plenary on February 20, which led to her suspension announced on March 6. During the resumed hearing, her counsel, J.S. Okutepa (SAN), emphasized the urgency of the matter, noting that the suspension was already in effect.

He urged the court to prioritize the hearing to ensure a swift resolution. All parties, including counsels representing the Senate, Clerk of the National Assembly, Senate President, and the Senate committee chairman, agreed to expedite the proceedings.

However, counsel to the Senate President, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), raised concerns that Akpoti-Uduaghan had granted interviews to international media outlets such as CNN and BBC, which he argued could compromise the integrity of the trial. Okutepa rebutted the claim, alleging that another senator from the South East had also been engaging the media on the same issue. He argued for the restriction to apply not only to the parties directly involved in the suit but to all Senate members and their affiliates.

Justice Nyako, in her ruling, emphasized the importance of preserving the sanctity of the judiciary. She ordered that: No party or counsel should grant media interviews on the case; No social media or online commentary should be made; No analysis of the case should be aired on television or published in the press. “All parties are to maintain total media silence on the matter until it is concluded,” she ruled.

The case has been adjourned to May 12, 2025, for further hearing. Background The dispute traces back to a tense Senate session during which Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was asked to vacate her seat.

Days later, she accused Senate President Akpabio of making inappropriate advances toward her during a private visit to his residence in December 2023—a claim that triggered widespread attention and debate.

Her subsequent suspension has drawn mixed reactions, with some seeing it as an enforcement of legislative discipline, while others argue it reflects an attempt to suppress dissent and stifle free expression within the chamber.