Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, has vowed to return to the Red Chamber on Tuesday.
The embattled lawmaker made the declaration in a video circulating on social media, where she addressed her jubilant supporters.
She said, “I thank you for your support. I am glad we are victorious today. We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God.”
The development follows a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which voided her suspension and ordered her immediate reinstatement, describing the disciplinary action by the Senate as “excessive, unconstitutional, and a violation of her constituents’ rights.”
Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the ruling, also imposed a ₦5 million fine on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for contempt of court, following a Facebook post deemed to have flouted an earlier interim injunction issued on March 4, 2025. The injunction had restrained all parties from making public or social media comments about the ongoing legal dispute over her suspension.
The court held that the senator’s April 27 Facebook post, which was a satirical apology directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, constituted a deliberate breach of the court’s order.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team argued that ... was unrelated to the case and referred instead to personal allegations of sexual harassment she had earlier made against Akpabio on live television. The court disagreed, stating ... was clearly tied to the ongoing case.
Justice Nyako ruled that the senator must issue a public apology within seven days, to be published in two national newspapers and reposted on her Facebook page.
In striking down the suspension, the court noted that the Senate’s disciplinary action lacked constitutional basis and that its internal procedures must be revised to align with democratic norms and the rights of elected representatives.
Justice Nyako emphasized that legislators are constitutionally required to attend at least 161 sitting days in a legislative year, and that the six-month suspension effectively deprived the people of Kogi Central of representation.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March after a heated plenary session over a dispute regarding the rearrangement of seating positions in the Senate. Days later, she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment, further intensifying the political standoff.
Her suspension triggered widespread condemnation from civil society groups and human rights advocates, many of whom described it as an attempt to silence a dissenting female voice in the legislature.
In a separate case, the senator is also facing criminal defamation charges, with the next hearing scheduled for September 23.
As of the time of this report, the Senate leadership has not issued an official response on whether it will comply with or challenge the court’s verdict.
Supporters of Senator Natasha have welcomed the judgment as a win for democracy, due process, and women’s rights, while legal analysts say the ruling could set a precedent for judicial intervention in legislative overreach.