The Senate Committee Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, stated on Sunday that the Senate is awaiting the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment ordering the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan before taking any official action.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Adaramodu stated that the red chamber cannot act on media reports or hearsay, but must thoroughly review the court’s order before responding.

Adaramodu said, “The Senate had applied for the CTC since Monday. We expect to receive the document, and upon receipt, we will comply with the court order’s content.”

He stressed that the chamber would deliberate on the document once it was received, adding, “When we look at the contents, then we shall take a position.”

It will be recalled that on March 6, the Senate suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months following her sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Her suspension followed a report from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen (APC, Edo South).

Consequently, Akpoti-Uduaghan was barred from the National Assembly premises, stripped of her salary, and had her security details withdrawn.

Naijaonpoint reports that Akpoti-Uduaghan, following the sanction, challenged the decision at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Binta Nyako ordered the Senate to recall her last week. However, the judge also found her in contempt of court and imposed a fine of ₦5 million.

Reacting to the controversy, Adaramodu criticised what he described as a public misunderstanding of legislative procedures.

“The Senate, by law, is empowered to make its rules that guide it. If we don’t have rules guiding us, we will become like barbarians,” he said.

He added that people who expect the Senate not to act when rules are broken are essentially promoting lawlessness within the legislature.

“Possibly, what they were expecting was that anybody can disobey; anybody can break any rule and that the senate must not take any stand,” he said.

Citing legislative procedure, the Ekiti South Senator explained that the Senate, under its Standing Orders, reserves the right to reprimand any member who violates its rules.

He said, “If it is established that the Senate can reprimand an offending senator… then it is at the discretion of the Senate to apportion a period for the suspension of a member being reprimanded.”

He emphasised that the 180-day suspension given to Akpoti-Uduaghan includes both sitting and non-parliamentary days.

“What the Senate rules say is that you should observe, adhere to and fulfil the 180 parliamentary days,” he clarified.

Adaramodu concluded by urging the public to respect the internal workings of the National Assembly.

“Whoever that is not a legislator cannot understand how the legislature works,” he said, reiterating the Senate’s constitutional authority to regulate its members’ conduct.