The Traffic

Senate to Natasha: "Stay Away Until Suspension Ends" — No Court Order Mandates Recall

The Nigerian Senate has issued a stern warning to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, instructing her to stay away from the Senate chambers pending the expiration of her suspension.

The directive, issued on Sunday by Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, follows Natasha’s public declaration that she would resume her legislative duties on Tuesday, citing a court ruling from Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

But the Senate says no such order exists.

“There is no valid or binding court judgment directing the Senate to immediately recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan,” Adaramodu stated. “Her claim is both premature and legally baseless.”

He added that Justice Nyako’s judgment, contrary to what is being peddled, offered a non-binding advisory suggesting a review of the Senate’s Standing Orders and the length of Natasha’s suspension, which the court considered “possibly excessive” — but not unconstitutional or unlawful.

“The Senate has not breached any provision of the law or Constitution in disciplining Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for her conduct during plenary,” Adaramodu emphasized.

In a twist, the same court had found Natasha guilty of contempt, imposing a ₦5 million fine payable to the Federal Government and ordering her to publish apologies in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page — a directive the Senate says she is yet to obey.

“It is therefore surprising,” the Senate spokesman said, “that she seeks to benefit from a court opinion she has not fully complied with, and which does not order her reinstatement.”

The Senate, he explained, has made its position clear in two previous statements following the release of the Certified True Copy of the Enrolled Order, reiterating that no directive or injunction compels her immediate return to the chamber.

“At the appropriate time, the Senate will consider the court’s advisory on its Standing Orders and on Senator Natasha’s recall,” Adaramodu concluded. “Until then, she is respectfully advised to stay away and allow due process to run its course.”

Natasha’s attempt to re-enter the red chambers without formal recall, the Senate warned, would be viewed as disruptive and a breach of legislative order.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna