Samuel Omang
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central (PDP), made a bold return to the National Assembly on Tuesday morning, marking the end of her six-month suspension that had sparked months of legal battles, political tension, and public debate over legislative fairness.
At exactly 11:42 a.m., the embattled lawmaker walked into the Senate chamber, her steps calm but confident, as she made her way to her seat. A few senators greeted her warmly, signaling quiet support in a chamber still divided over her suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s arrival was not without drama. She was accompanied by several civil rights activists, including Bring Back Our Girls campaigner Aisha Yesufu, who took her place in the Senate gallery. Many of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters, however, were denied entry.
Her resumption comes after months of controversy that began in March 2025, when she was suspended for protesting against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The Senate leadership accused her of breaching its Standing Orders, a charge she strongly denied.
Following her suspension, her Suite 2.05 office at the Senate Wing was sealed. It was later reopened in September by the Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, and security operatives, signaling that the Senate might be preparing for her return.
Despite the formal lapse of her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s resumption was delayed by ongoing court proceedings and resistance from Senate leadership. She had taken her case to court, where Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled in July that her suspension was “excessive and unconstitutional.” The court ordered her immediate recall, stressing that prolonged suspension of an elected senator would deny constituents proper representation.
Even with the court’s ruling, the Senate insisted that she must serve her full term of suspension until the Court of Appeal delivered judgment on her pending case. The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamorudeen Ogunlana, reiterated that his office lacked the authority to override Senate decisions, insisting the matter lay “solely within the powers of the Senate.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), had earlier written to Ogunlana demanding her recall by September 15, 2025, warning that failure to comply could result in contempt proceedings and disciplinary actions against those obstructing her return.
In a formal statement by the Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, the CNA maintained that the Senate must decide when and how she could resume, reaffirming that the Clerk’s office functions only in an administrative capacity.
Now back on the red floor, Akpoti-Uduaghan remains unapologetic. “I have no apology to tender,” she had said in September, reaffirming her stance against what she described as attempts to silence her voice within the chamber.
Her return is being hailed by many as a victory for constitutional order and women’s political resilience. Yet, it also reignites debate over the autonomy of the legislature and the limits of internal disciplinary powers.
As plenary resumed Tuesday, all eyes were on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan — the lawmaker who refused to be silenced, walking back into the Senate with the quiet confidence of someone who had fought and won her place back through the courts.