Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central District in the Senate, will resume her legislative duties in the upper chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on Friday ordered her recall after declaring her six-month suspension from the Senate as unconstitutional, excessive, and a violation of her constituents’ rights to representation.
She disclosed her planned resumption in a video shared on social media, which started trending on Sunday, and where she thanked her supporters for standing with her.
Natasha said, “I thank you for your support. I am glad we are victorious today.
“We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God”.
The court,which was presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, had ruled that Natasha’s suspension lacked constitutional backing, and ordered her immediate reinstatement.
However, the court found her guilty of contempt for a Facebook post it described as a satirical apology addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
It held that the post violated an interim injunction issued on March 4, 2025, barring parties from making public or social media comments on the ongoing suit challenging her suspension.
The court imposed a N5 million fine on the senator for the post, which was deemed to have breached the court’s order.
The Senate had suspended Natasha in March after a controversial plenary session that turned rowdy over disagreements about seating arrangements in the chamber.
Days later, the controversy deepened when she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment during a live television interview
In her ruling, Justice Nyako emphasised that the extended suspension of the senator was not only procedurally flawed but also deprived the people of Kogi Central of their constitutional right to representation.
She stated that lawmakers are required by the constitution to attend at least 181 sitting days in a legislative year and warned that long suspensions without due process undermine democratic governance.
The court also criticised the Senate’s disciplinary processes, urging the National Assembly to review its internal rules to conform with constitutional principles and ensure fair hearing.
