The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to immediately comply with a Federal High Court ruling by reinstating Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the National Assembly.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Tuesday, SERAP condemned the lawmaker’s suspension as a “grave violation” of the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations.
The statement read: “Senate President Godswill Akpabio must immediately obey court order and ensure a smooth return of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Senate today or any other day of her choosing. She should never have been suspended in the first place. Her suspension is a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.”
SERAP further demanded that the Senate leadership act swiftly, stating: “The Senate leadership must immediately obey court order, reinstate Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and fully restore all her legislative rights, entitlements, and privileges.” The group also called on the Senate to set a positive example by respecting judicial decisions and upholding the rule of law. “The Senate should be setting an example by obeying the court order, upholding the rule of law and protecting the integrity of the country’s legal system,” it added.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had, on Friday, nullified the six-month suspension imposed on Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate, declaring the action unconstitutional and lacking due process. Justice Binta Nyako, in her ruling, described the suspension as “excessive” and invalidated Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules as well as Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, stating that both provisions overreached legal boundaries.
The court noted that the legislations failed to specify the maximum duration for suspending a lawmaker, emphasizing that since lawmakers have 181 sitting days per legislative year, a six-month suspension effectively barred Akpoti-Uduaghan from representing her constituents for nearly the entire period.
While acknowledging the Senate’s disciplinary authority, the court ruled that sanctions must not be so severe as to deny constituents their right to representation.
