The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Monday upheld the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, ruling that the Nigerian Senate acted within its constitutional and legislative powers when it disciplined the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
In a unanimous judgment, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Muhammed held that the Senate did not breach Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s parliamentary privileges or fundamental rights when it suspended her over alleged misconduct.
The judges agreed that the legislative chamber was empowered under its standing rules to take disciplinary actions against erring members.
The decision overturns part of a Federal High Court ruling last year, which had earlier described aspects of the suspension as excessive and imposed a ₦5 million fine on the senator over a satirical apology she made targeting the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
While the appellate court upheld the suspension itself, it set aside the contempt proceedings and nullified the fine, finding that the contempt charge was not legally sustainable.
The ruling also supported the Senate President’s decision in February 2025 not to recognise the senator during a plenary session after she allegedly refused to sit in her officially assigned seat, stating that the chamber’s rules empower the president to allocate seats and regulate speaking privileges accordingly.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has previously challenged her suspension in court, describing it as punitive and linked to earlier allegations she made against senior colleagues.
