Suspended Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has taken legal action against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of defying a court order regarding her suspension.
The Clerk of the National Assembly and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, have also been cited in the contempt case filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Akpoti-Uduaghan claims that her six-month suspension directly violated a court order issued on March 4, 2025.
According to her, the Senate had been legally restrained from taking any action against her pending further judicial review.
However, the suspension proceeded despite the injunction, prompting her to seek legal redress.
A notice of disobedience, signed by the court’s registrar, was issued under Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004.
The document warned Akpabio, Imasuem, and the Clerk that their refusal to comply with the court’s directive could lead to imprisonment for contempt.
The court stated that the defendants had been served with the interim injunction on March 5 but “deliberately and contumaciously disregarded” its ruling.
The notice further emphasized that their actions were in “flagrant defiance of the authority of the court.”
Justice Obiora Egwuatu had earlier ruled that any action taken against Akpoti-Uduaghan during the legal proceedings would be “null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.”
The court also permitted alternative means of serving legal documents on the defendants, including pasting them at the National Assembly or publishing them in national newspapers.
Meanwhile, Akpabio has responded to the lawsuit by challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
He argues that the judiciary lacks the authority to interfere in the internal affairs of the Senate.
His legal team insists that legislative matters should be handled within the Senate and not through external judicial processes.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, remains resolute in her fight for justice.
She believes her suspension was politically motivated and a violation of her rights as a lawmaker.
The case has been adjourned until March 25, when further legal arguments will be presented.
