The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has halted the ongoing proceedings at the Federal High Court in a suit filed by the suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, challenging her suspension from the Senate.
This decision by the appellate court followed a motion filed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, seeking an extension of time to appeal a previous ruling by Federal High Court Judge Obiora Egwuatu on March 10.
Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan had approached the Federal High Court to contest her suspension, deeming it unconstitutional and a breach of legislative procedures.
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In his March 10 ruling, Judge Egwuatu had ordered the Senate President and three other defendants to respond within 72 hours, showing cause why an interlocutory injunction preventing further investigation against Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan should not be issued.
The judge emphasized that the Senate’s actions must align with the Constitution, the Senate Standing Orders 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
However, on March 20, Mr. Akpabio, through his legal team led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), filed a motion for additional time to appeal the High Court’s decision.
His team argued that the lower court erred by consolidating all pending applications for a hearing on March 25, which prevented them from filing a timely appeal within the statutory 14-day timeframe.
An affidavit by Toyo Jimmy, a senior legislative aide to Mr. Akpabio, claimed that the Federal High Court’s procedural decision impeded the Senate President’s right to a fair hearing and timely legal recourse.
The team also argued that allowing the High Court to proceed while an appeal was pending would compromise the effectiveness of any eventual ruling from the appellate court, further emphasizing that hearing all applications concurrently rather than sequentially contradicted established legal practice and disadvantaged the Senate President.
According to court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the Court of Appeal granted the Senate President’s request on May 21, issuing an order to immediately halt proceedings at the Federal High Court until the appeal is resolved.
The three-judge panel, comprising Hama Barka, Adebukunola Banjoko, and Okon Abang, agreed that continuing the lower court case could render the appellate court’s decision ineffective if it later overturned the High Court’s ruling.
In addition to granting the stay, the appellate court imposed a cost of ₦100,000 against Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan. It also ordered that the appeal with case number CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/395M/2025 be struck out from its register.
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