Court Reverses Order Nullifying Suspension Of Senator Natasha
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a federal high court has reversed his earlier order, which had declared any action taken against senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan during the suit's pendency as null and void.
The ruling came after her counsel, Sanusi Musa, SAN, moved an ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025.
In the suit, Natasha sued the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct.
She sought an interim injunction restraining the Senate from investigating her alleged misconduct during the February 20 plenary, which led to her suspension.
However, through its lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, the Senate challenged the ex-parte order on March 17, arguing that Order Number Four was vague and went beyond the court’s jurisdiction. Ojukwu contended that the order prevented the Senate from carrying out its legislative duties, which could lead to a constitutional crisis.
“The said Order No. 4 as granted effectively restrains the Senate from conducting any of its legislative duties,” Ojukwu argued.
He stated that enforcing such an order would violate the doctrine of separation of powers under Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution. He further argued that the court had been misled into granting an " interlocutory " order and should not have been issued before hearing from all parties.
Other defence lawyers, including Charles Yoila (for the Clerk of the National Assembly), Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN (for Akpabio), and Umeh Kalu, SAN (for Imasuem), supported Ojukwu’s position.
Meanwhile, Natasha’s lawyer, Michael Numa, SAN, described the argument as a conspiracy against her.
He insisted that the court has the power to hold the Senate accountable for violating its directive. “This is an invitation to anarchy, my lord,” he urged the court to dismiss the Senate’s application.
Despite Numa’s objections, Justice Egwuatu ruled in favour of the defence and vacated Order Number Four. The case was adjourned to March 25 to hear all pending applications.
Despite the order, the Senate suspended Natasha from legislative duties for six months. She later filed a contempt charge, arguing that the suspension constituted a “wilful disobedience” of the subsisting court order served on the defendants on March 5.
The dispute between Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio escalated after she accused him of sexual harassment, an allegation yet to be investigated.