The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal on Monday upheld the Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti, ruling that the red chamber acted within its constitutional and parliamentary powers.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment in Akpoti’s appeal against the Clerk of the National Assembly and three others, recorded as CA/ABJ/CV/1107/2025. The court held that the suspension did not violate the lawmaker’s parliamentary privileges or constitutional rights.
However, the appellate court set aside the contempt proceedings and the N5 million fine imposed on Akpoti over a satirical apology she directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice A. B. Muhammed stated that the Senate President acted in accordance with the Rules when Akpoti-Uduaghan was denied the opportunity to speak during plenary on February 20, 2025, as she was not seated in her officially allocated seat.
The court emphasized that under Senate Rules, the Senate President has the authority to reassign seats to lawmakers, and members are only allowed to speak from their designated positions.p
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