President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal to challenge a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja that directed the immediate recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the National Assembly.
The legal move comes after the court nullified the Senate’s decision to suspend Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and mandated her reinstatement. The court also ordered that all her entitlements and privileges be restored without delay.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, was suspended by the Senate in May 2025 over what was described at the time as “unparliamentary conduct,” a move that sparked widespread criticism and legal scrutiny. She subsequently challenged the suspension in court, arguing that the Senate lacked the constitutional authority to suspend an elected representative without due process.
Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court ruled that the suspension was unconstitutional, violating the rights of the lawmaker to fair hearing and representation of her constituents. The court ordered her immediate recall and directed the Senate to pay all withheld entitlements.
Unwilling to accept the decision, Senate President Akpabio has now taken the matter to the appellate court, seeking to overturn the lower court’s judgment. His legal team contends that the Federal High Court erred in its interpretation of the Senate’s powers, and that the disciplinary action taken against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was in line with internal legislative procedures.
The case is now set to test the legal boundaries between legislative autonomy and constitutional protections, and its outcome is expected to have far-reaching implications for parliamentary conduct and democratic accountability in Nigeria.
As of the time of filing this report, no date has been fixed for the appeal hearing.
