Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has rescheduled her return to the Senate for legislative duties to Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
She stated that this new date is to honor the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday.
The National Assembly had already suspended all legislative activities until next Tuesday as a mark of respect for the deceased president.
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The updated resumption date was communicated by her lawyer, Michael Numa, SAN, in response to a correspondence from the National Assembly.
Numa’s letter emphasized: “Finally, following the unfortunate demise of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, our client intends to resume her legislative duties on the 22nd day of July, 2025.”
He further warned that if her demand for reinstatement continues to be disregarded, “Our client reserves the right to pursue all lawful measures to enforce her rights should this demand continue to be disregarded and violated.”
This new date comes amid an ongoing legal dispute regarding her six-month suspension, which began in March.
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The National Assembly had previously asserted that there was no explicit court order compelling the Senate to recall Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, urging her to await a Senate resolution on the matter.
However, her legal team strongly disagrees, arguing that the Federal High Court judgment, delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, contains clear and enforceable directives for her immediate reinstatement.
“However, with the utmost respect, we must disagree with your interpretation of the enrolled Judgment Order. Specifically, we contest the view that the Court’s pronouncement in the referenced matter constitutes a mere advisory opinion rather than a binding directive requiring the Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan,” her lawyers stated in a rejoinder.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers underscored the mandatory nature of the court’s pronouncements, pointing to the judgment’s opening phrase: “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED.” While acknowledging that Order 12 used the term “should” instead of “shall” (“The Senate should recall the Plaintiff”), they argue that when read in its entirety, the judgment’s context and structure clearly support a mandatory interpretation.
They also cited Section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates that “all persons and authorities,” including the legislature, must comply with decisions from competent courts.
She urged the National Assembly to comply with the court order, reiterating her warning that she might be forced to take legal action if the Senate continues to disregard the court’s decision.
She specifically asked the National Assembly leadership to review the enrolled order and facilitate her smooth return in accordance with the judgment.
The case originated from Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s challenge against her suspension by the Senate on February 20 over alleged misconduct during a plenary session.
In her judgment, Justice Nyako had ruled that the six-month suspension was excessive and unconstitutional, as it infringed upon the Kogi Central Senatorial District’s right to representation.
Although the judge advised the Senate to allow her to resume, she did not issue a direct, explicit order for reinstatement.
Following the judgment, Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan had initially written to the Clerk of the National Assembly through her lawyer, Michael Numa, SAN, expressing her readiness to resume duties on Tuesday, July 15, and urging prompt compliance to avoid contempt of court.
However, the Senate maintained that it found no explicit directive in the judgment for her recall.
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has since filed a cross-appeal at the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the judgment, challenging both the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction and the substantive ruling on eleven grounds.
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