The Nigerian Senate has refused to reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan despite a Federal High Court judgment that paved the way for her return to the red chamber. In a letter signed by Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation and Counselling, on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, the Senate declared that the court’s ruling is “non-binding and advisory at best.”

The Senate’s decision signals open defiance of the judiciary and has drawn a sharp battle line between the two arms of government. Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed a fresh cross-appeal at the Court of Appeal, accusing the trial court of “judicial overreach.” His lead counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, argued that the court veered into territory beyond Akpoti-Uduaghan’s original claims, violating the boundaries of legislative autonomy.

The confrontation could deepen the constitutional crisis, stirring fresh legal battles and potential public outrage. Civil society groups and angry constituents are already mobilizing, demanding immediate enforcement of the court’s verdict. “The court has spoken,” said a Lagos-based rights advocate. “Now the Senate must choose—obedience to the rule of law or descent into legislative impunity.”

For now, the Senate remains defiant. But with rising public scrutiny and mounting democratic pressure, the question looms large: Will Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan return to the Senate through the gavel of justice—or the will of the people? The coming days may decide not just her fate, but the balance of power between Nigeria’s courts and its lawmakers.