WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal High Court Abuja to order the reversal of the alleged “patently unlawful suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan” by the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio. SERAP disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the lawsuit against the Senate President is challenging his “ failure to reverse” the suspension. The advocacy group alleged that the purported suspension was based solely on the alleged peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression. According to SERAP’s suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/498/2025, the court should give an order of mandamus directing and compelling Mr Akpabio to rescind the unlawful suspension of Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, reinstate her, and fully restore all her legislative rights, entitlements, and privileges. SERAP is seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from further suspending or taking any disciplinary action against Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for the peaceful exercise of her fundamental human rights.” SERAP is also seeking “a declaration that the application of sections 6(1)(2) of the Senate Rules, the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended), to suspend Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan violates her human rights and deprives her constituents of their right to political participation.” SERAP argued that granting the application would serve the public interest and promote respect for the rights of everyone in the National Assembly. The group argued that the Senate recently suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, after she reportedly “spoke without permission” and “refused her new seat in the Senate chamber.” The advocacy group stated that her salary and allowances have also been withheld for the duration of the suspension, and she has been barred from identifying herself as a senator, contrary to relevant laws. It is SERAP’s view that punishing Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for peacefully expressing herself is unlawful, unnecessary and disproportionate. The group added that her suspension would also have a disproportionate chilling effect on the ability of other members of the Senate to freely express themselves and exercise their human rights. According to SERAP, “Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension is based solely on the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression in the Senate. All the other grounds cited by the Senate for her suspension seem to be a pretext to further restrict her fundamental human rights.” SERAP is also arguing that, “Suspending Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression has made her opinion in the Senate ineffective.” The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs Adelanke Aremo, read in part: “No member of the Senate should suffer any consequences for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression.” “Any application of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 by the Senate must conform with constitutional and international human rights norms and standards relating to freedom of expression and should not jeopardise the right itself.” No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit. The altercation between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio became widely publicized when she was asked to change her seat during plenary. Akpabio had denied the sexual harassment allegations put forward by Akpoti, describing her actions as an embarrassment to the Senate and Nigeria.
SERAP sues Akpabio over ‘failure to reverse alleged unlawful suspension of Natasha Akpoti’
