The legal representatives of Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan have written to the Clerk of the National Assembly, demanding her immediate resumption or risk facing contempt proceedings and disciplinary action.
The letter, dated September 10, 2025, and signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Michael Jonathan Numa, described the Clerk’s earlier position barring the senator’s return as “untenable” and “a politically expedient attempt to subvert the sovereign will of the people.” It followed the Clerk’s letter of September 4, 2025, which claimed her resumption could not proceed until there was a final judicial pronouncement on the matter.
Senator Natasha who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District was suspended for six months by the Senate in March 2025. However, her counsel insisted that the suspension has since expired and no legal basis exists to prevent her from returning to her legislative duties. They pointed to multiple court rulings, including an interim order issued by Justice Egwuatu of the Federal High Court on March 4, 2025, restraining the Senate from proceeding with disciplinary actions, as well as a July 4, 2025 judgment by Justice Binta Nyako declaring the suspension unconstitutional.
The lawyers accused the Clerk of aiding what they called a “pattern of judicial defiance” by the Senate and misapplying the sub judice rule to deny their client her constitutional mandate. They stressed that the Clerk, not being an elected officer, has no authority to extend or enforce sanctions beyond the expiration date of September 6, 2025.
The firm issued a stern ultimatum, demanding that the Clerk facilitate Senator Natasha’s immediate resumption by Monday, September 15, 2025, warning that failure to comply would compel them to initiate legal proceedings against him personally and in his official capacity. These proceedings, they stated, could include contempt charges, breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, and other legal remedies.
The standoff has further heightened tensions within the National Assembly, as the case now underscores a critical test of the balance between parliamentary authority and judicial oversight in Nigeria’s democracy.
— Naija Reality News
