Showdown at the Senate: Senator Natasha Told to Stay Away From National Assembly

RYNI Media: By Omotayo Stephen . O
21 July 2025

Tensions are brewing in the corridors of Nigeria’s National Assembly as the Senate has issued a stern warning to suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, cautioning her against what it described as an “unlawful attempt to forcibly re-enter the Senate chamber.”

In a strongly worded statement released in Abuja yesterday, the Senate, through its spokesperson Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, raised concerns over reports that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is allegedly plotting to storm the Red Chamber tomorrow—despite a subsisting six-month suspension handed down in March over allegations of misconduct.

According to the Senate’s statement, contrary to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims, “no enforceable court order exists mandating her recall prior to the expiration of her disciplinary suspension.”

This development follows the recent ruling by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, which, while questioning the proportionality of the suspension, stopped short of ordering an immediate recall. Rather, the court issued what the Senate described as a “non-binding advisory” suggesting a review of the Senate’s Standing Orders and disciplinary framework.

“The judgment neither invalidated the Senate’s action nor compelled any reversal,” Adaramodu clarified. “In fact, the court upheld that the Senate acted within its constitutional authority and did not violate any legal provisions in suspending the senator.”

More damning still, the court found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt and imposed a N5 million fine, alongside a mandatory public apology—requirements which the Senate claims remain unmet.

“It is legally unsound and politically provocative for the senator to act as though she has received a green light to resume legislative duties,” Adaramodu added. “Such conduct could undermine the dignity of the Senate and erode the sanctity of due process.”

The statement warned in unequivocal terms that any attempt by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to force her way back into the Senate chamber would be met with firm resistance, stressing that the legislature is “not a theatre for political drama nor a battleground for personal defiance.”

While acknowledging the court’s opinion on possible reforms, the Senate insisted that any decision regarding the senator’s recall will be made “at the appropriate time and in accordance with laid-down procedures.”

Until then, the message from the nation’s upper legislative house remains clear: stay away and respect the process.

As political watchers brace for what could be a showdown at the National Assembly gates, one thing is certain—Tuesday at the Senate promises to be anything but routine.

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