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A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Friday that the Nigerian Senate exceeded its authority by suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, ordering her immediate reinstatement in the Senate.
Justice Binta Nyako, who rendered the decision, characterized the length of the suspension as "excessive" and lacking a solid legal basis.
The court noted that neither Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders nor Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which the Senate referenced, specifies a maximum suspension duration, leading to their determination that the actions taken were overreaching.
The judge emphasized that since the National Assembly is only required to meet for 181 days each year, suspending a legislator for approximately that duration effectively silences the voice of an entire constituency, which she deemed unconstitutional.
The court acknowledged that while the Senate holds the power to discipline its members, such actions should not go as far as to strip constituents of their right to representation, according to Nyako’s ruling.
The court backed Senate President Godswill Akpabio on a different issue, stating that his refusal to permit Akpoti-Uduaghan to speak during a plenary session—based on her not being in her assigned seat—did not constitute a violation of her rights.
Nyako also rejected Akpabio’s claim that the judiciary should not interfere in what he described as a "internal affair" of the legislature, asserting that questions about fundamental rights and representation fall well within the court’s jurisdiction.
In an unexpected development, the court imposed a financial penalty on Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating a previous court order that prohibited both parties from publicly commenting on the legal proceedings. The fine amounts to millions of naira.
