BREAKING: Senate Unseals Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Office After Six-Month Suspension

The National Assembly has reopened Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s office after six months of suspension, signaling her likely return when plenary resumes on October 7.

The National Assembly has reopened the office of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, signaling her likely return to plenary when lawmakers reconvene on October 7.

Her office at the Senate Wing, which had been sealed for six months, was unlocked on Tuesday, September 23, by the Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, under the supervision of security officials.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 after the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions accused her of breaching Senate rules during a protest over the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The suspension barred her from the National Assembly and stripped her of salaries, aides’ emoluments, and entitlements.

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The decision drew legal and public scrutiny. In July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the six-month sanction was unconstitutional, ordering her recall and stressing that the measure denied Kogi Central constituents their representation. The Senate, however, refused to comply, insisting she serve her full suspension.

Despite this, pressure mounted. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) faulted the Senate’s stance, noting that a pending appeal could not prevent her from resuming. NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, argued that blocking her return deprived her constituents of fair representation. Prominent lawyer Femi Falana also accused the Senate of disobeying court orders and undermining the rule of law.

On September 4, Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to resume but was turned back by security operatives. Her counsel, Michael Jonathan Numa, threatened contempt proceedings against the Clerk of the National Assembly if she was not reinstated.

With her office now unsealed, the senator’s return to the Red Chamber appears imminent when plenary resumes.