The Nigerian Senate has refused to allow Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to resume her legislative duties, insisting that her suspension remains valid despite her claim that the six-month ban expired on September 4, 2025.
A letter signed by Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Yahaya Danzaria, dated September 4, 2025, dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s notice of resumption and stated that her suspension cannot be lifted while the case is still before the Court of Appeal.
According to the Clerk, the embattled senator’s suspension began on March 6, 2025, and will only end after the appellate court rules on the legality of her punishment. He stressed that “the subject matter of your suspension is presently before the Court of Appeal. The matter therefore remains subjudice, and until the judicial process is concluded and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in the light of the Court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken to facilitate your resumption.”
This directly contradicts Akpoti-Uduaghan’s argument that her suspension expired automatically after six months. Her team had written to the Senate on August 28, notifying them of her plan to return, but the Clerk’s response has now shut the door on that move.
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The Court of Appeal now holds the key to her political future. Her appeal (No: CA/ABUJA/CV/1107/2025) and a cross-appeal filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio are still pending, meaning the case could drag on for months. Until then, her seat for Kogi Central remained in limbo, leaving her constituents effectively unrepresented at the Red Chamber.
Beyond the legal battle, the standoff has revived debate about the powers of the National Assembly to suspend elected lawmakers. Akpoti-Uduaghan has consistently argued that the action against her was “excessive and unconstitutional”.
For now, the Clerk’s letter makes clear that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will not return to the Senate until the judiciary delivers a final verdict — a decision that could either restore her mandate or entrench one of the most dramatic suspensions in Nigeria’s recent legislative history.
