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May
May
COURT TO DELIVER JUDGMENT ON SENATOR NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN’S SUSPENSION CASE ON JUNE 27
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CapitalTimesNews / 3 weeks
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- 2 min read
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed June 27 for judgment in the case filed by suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is challenging her suspension from the Senate. The suspension was reportedly based on allegations of misconduct and claims of bias raised by one of the parties involved in the matter. Akpoti-Uduaghan, represented by her lawyer Jibrin Okutekpa, SAN, is seeking the court’s intervention to overturn the Senate’s decision, arguing that the suspension was unjust and politically motivated. The senator had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, which led to her suspension for six months. During the court proceedings, Justice Binta Nyako expressed dissatisfaction with the multiplicity of processes filed by the respondents and warned both sides that the court would no longer tolerate frivolous applications or deliberate delays. “This matter has dragged enough,” she said firmly. “We must bring it to a close.” The defendants, including the Senate President, the Senate, and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, had filed a contempt application against Akpoti-Uduaghan, alleging that she disobeyed a court order by posting a satirical apology to the Senate President on her Facebook page. However, the respondents later withdrew the contempt application. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Numan, argued that the alleged contemptuous statement had no connection to his client and that the plaintiff had also filed a contempt motion against the defendants for allegedly disobeying court directives. Justice Nyako has now scheduled June 27 for the final judgment in the case, which could have significant implications for legislative discipline, freedom of expression, and the rights of elected officials in Nigeria.
