COURT OF APPEAL UPHOLDS SENATE’S SUSPENSION OF SENATOR NATASHA AKPOTI

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of the Senate to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti, ruling that the Red Chamber acted within its constitutional powers.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Monday by a three-member panel, the appellate court dismissed Senator Akpoti’s appeal against the Clerk of the National Assembly and three others. The court held that the suspension did not violate Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s parliamentary privileges or her constitutional rights.

However, the court set aside the contempt proceedings and the five-million-naira fine earlier imposed on the lawmaker over a satirical apology addressed to Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice A. B. Muhammed ruled that the Senate President acted in line with Senate Rules when he denied the senator the opportunity to speak during plenary on February, 2025, noting that she was not seated in her officially allocated seat.

The court further held that the Senate President has the authority to reassign seats to lawmakers and that members are only allowed to speak from their designated seats.

Reported by Bright Okpo