…Says Senator’s right to resume is constitutional
By Henry Umoru
Abuja — Counsel to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), Michael Jonathan Numa, SAN, has written to the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), KaKamorudeen Ogunlana, demanding that the senator be allowed to resume her legislative duties following the expiration of her suspension.
In a letter dated September 10, Numa stated that if Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is not recalled by Monday, September 15, 2025, his client will initiate legal proceedings against the Clerk both in his official and personal capacity.
According to him, the senator’s right to resume after completing her six-month suspension is guaranteed by the Constitution and cannot be curtailed by administrative interpretation.
“Our client’s right to resume her parliamentary duties, after the expiration of her fixed-term suspension, is rooted in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and cannot be abridged by administrative fiat or internal Senate processes,” the letter read.
Numa faulted the Clerk’s September 4 letter, which had stated that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan could not resume pending the outcome of litigation. He argued that this amounted to a misapplication of the sub judice rule and was inconsistent with judicial pronouncements already made on the matter.
He further maintained that the suspension, which began on March 6, 2025, expired on September 6, 2025, and that any continued restriction against the senator was unlawful.
The lawyer therefore demanded that the Clerk “immediately facilitate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s resumption of her legislative duties without further obstruction.”
Failure to comply, he warned, would result in legal action, including contempt proceedings and other remedies provided by law.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 for six months following a resolution of the Senate. During this period, her salary, benefits, and access to the National Assembly were withdrawn.
A Federal High Court later faulted aspects of the suspension, but the Senate insisted on enforcing it until its expiration. With the six-month period now elapsed, her legal team insists she must be reinstated immediately.
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