Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Attends Court Hearing Challenging Senate Suspension Abuja – Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was present at the Federal High Court in Abuja today, May 13th for the continuation of her legal challenge against her suspension from the Senate. The Senate had imposed a six-month suspension on her on March 6th, citing alleged misconduct. This suspension occurred shortly after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan publicly accused the Senate President of s#xual harassment, allegations he has denied. In her legal action, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has named the National Assembly, the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Neda Imasuem, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, as defendants.
During the court session on Monday, May 12th, before Justice Binta Nyako (to whom the case was reassigned following Justice Obiorah Egwuatu’s withdrawal), Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Jibrin Okutekpa (SAN), informed the court that all necessary documents had been filed.
Paul Daudu (SAN), representing the Senate, and Ekwo Ejembi, counsel for the Senate President, confirmed that they had also submitted their respective documents. However, they brought to the court’s attention a motion alleging disobedience of a court order by the plaintiff.
These senior advocates contended that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had defied the court’s directives by posting a satirical apology letter addressed to the Senate President on her Facebook page on March 27th, which was subsequently published in several national newspapers.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, maintains that while her widely circulated letter addressed her s#xual harassment allegations against the Senate President, the current legal matter before the court specifically concerns her allegedly unlawful suspension from the Senate.