By Haruna Salami
As Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan fully served out her six months suspension and hoped to resume her office, new controversy emerged as the National Assembly cited legality and due process to shut her out of the complex.
The Kogi Central Senator had on September 4, 2025 formally notified the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) of her intention to return to plenary and reclaim her office from where the suspension was imposed on March 6, 2025.
Unfortunately, the reply she received was categorically no; “you cannot return yet”.
In a letter signed by Acting Clerk, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, the National Assembly declared that the matter remains before the Court of Appeal, making her suspension still “alive” until the judiciary concludes.
“The matter remains sub judice, and until the judicial process is concluded and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in light of the court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken by this office to facilitate your resumption,” the letter stated.
The Clerk further assured that she would be duly notified of the Senate’s final position once the appellate process is resolved.
However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in her own letter insisted she was entitled to resume, arguing that the Senate had no constitutional grounds to extend her punishment beyond six months.
“The suspension was for a definite period of six months, not indefinite. Upon expiration, my full rights and privileges as a Senator are automatically restored,” she wrote.
She further demanded immediate access to her senatorial office, pointing to pressing constituency matters, pending committee assignments, and preparation for the Senate’s return from recess.
It will be recalled that the confrontation is traced back to a stormy plenary in March, when Natasha locked horns with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seating arrangements, which snowballed into disciplinary action, with the Senate handing her a six-month suspension.
Contesting the punishment, Natasha headed to court and in July, the Federal High Court delivered a mixed judgement, describing her suspension “excessive and unconstitutional”, but affirming the Senate’s right to discipline its members. Both sides appealed, taking the battle to the Court of Appeal.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension has triggered the question whether lawmakers have the power to suspend elected representatives, effectively silencing constituencies for months at a time?
Civil society groups warned that prolonged suspensions erode democracy and deny citizens their right to representation. Legal analysts also noted that the appellate court’s eventual ruling could redraw the boundaries between parliamentary privilege and constitutional rights.
As the controversy rages and legal fireworks continue, Natasha remains locked out of National Assembly while her constituents in Kogi Central remain without an active voice in the Red Chamber.