Keypoints:
- Court deems six‑month ban excessive, mandates her return
- She faces N₦5m fine and must apologise for gag‑order breach
- Judgment demands Senate reform and fuels gender‑rights scrutiny
A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has ruled Senator Natasha Akpoti‑Uduaghan’s six‑month suspension ‘excessive’ and ordered her immediate reinstatement, reversing the Senate’s bid to silence her following allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Suspension ‘denied constituents voice’
Justice Binta Nyako stressed that with the National Assembly mandated to sit only 181 days per year, imposing a suspension nearly that length effectively disenfranchised Kogi Central’s constituents. She ruled the Senate overstepped its powers under both its Standing Orders and the Legislative Houses Act.
Gag‑order breach lands fine
While Akpoti‑Uduaghan’s return marks a major victory, she was held guilty of contempt for posting a satirical apology about the case on Facebook on April 7—contravening a court‑imposed gag order. She has been fined ₦5 million (about $3,250) and must publicly apologise in two national newspapers and online within seven days.
Senate President cleared on floor rules
The court dismissed claims that Senate President Akpabio unlawfully silenced her during plenary, affirming his exercise of procedural rules when she spoke out of turn while seated incorrectly.
Backdrop of harassment allegation
Akpoti‑Uduaghan originally brought forward sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio, dating back to December 2023; she later faced suspension in March 2025 for alleged misconduct—including speaking without recognition and refusal to sit in her assigned place. The Senate has denied her claims.
Implications for democracy and gender
This ruling sets a powerful precedent, underlining that legislative discipline must not erode democratic representation. It also thrusts renewed urgency onto demands for transparent internal probes into sexual misconduct within Nigeria’s legislature, as civil society groups have previously urged
