Barth Ikiebe
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Senate to recall the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a judgment delivered today, Friday, July 4, the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, described as “excessive”, the six-month suspension the Senate slammed on her on March 6 following her clash with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
While delivering her judgement, Justice Nyako faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules as well as section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declaring both as overreaching.
The court stressed that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.
According to the court, since lawmakers have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative circle, the six-month suspension handed to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was akin to pushing her away from her responsibilities to her constituents for about 180 days.
She held that though the Senate has the power to punish any of its members who err, such sanction must not be excessive to deprive the constituents of their right to be represented.
Nevertheless, the court held that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was not wrong to have denied the plaintiff, who was not on the official seat that was allotted to her, the opportunity to speak during plenary.
Justice Nyako equally dismissed Akpabio’s contention that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit, which he said bordered on an internal affair of the Senate.
Meanwhile the court found Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, guilty of contempt by publishing a satirical apology to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Justice Binta Nyako declared the satirical apology published on Natasha’s Facebook page on April 7, a mockery of a gag order that was placed on the parties by the court.
Declaring the breach a civil proceeding, Justice Nyako ordered Natasha to tender an apology to the court, which will be published in two national dailies and on her Facebook page, to purge herself from contempt. She is also to pay the sum of N5 million to the federal government.
“These orders must be obeyed within 7 days of this ruling”, the court held.
