The Senate has said it cannot act on the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan until it officially receives and reviews the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the recent court judgment on her suspension.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
Recall that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 for six months after a dispute with Senate leadership over the change of her seat. The suspension was based on the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, led by Senator Neda Imasuen (APC – Edo South).
As part of the disciplinary action, her salary was suspended, her security details withdrawn, and she was denied access to the National Assembly complex.
Following the suspension, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan approached the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Binta Nyako ruled in her favour, ordering her recall. However, the court also found her in contempt and imposed a ₦5 million fine.
Speaking on the Senate’s next step, Senator Adaramodu said, “The Senate applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment since Monday. We expect to receive the document soon. Once we have it, the Senate will sit, review the content, and take a decision in line with the court order.”
He added that the Senate operates under its own rules and procedures, as provided by the Constitution.
“The Senate is guided by Standing Orders. If there are no rules, the chamber will descend into chaos. Imagine a situation where any senator can sit wherever they like, even in the seat of the Senate President. That is why rules must be respected,” Adaramodu explained.
He also criticised the public reactions surrounding the matter, attributing the outrage to a lack of understanding of legislative procedures.
According to him, “Some people expected that any lawmaker can break rules without consequences and that the Senate must keep silent. That is not how a legislature operates.”
He clarified that the Senate has the constitutional power to discipline members and determine the duration of suspensions, especially when the Standing Orders are silent on the length.
On the issue of the 180-day suspension, the Ekiti South lawmaker noted that it refers to parliamentary sitting days, not calendar days. “The Senate rule states that the 180 days refer to legislative sitting days,” he explained.
Senator Adaramodu reaffirmed the Senate’s readiness to comply with the court’s decision once due legal processes are followed.
