Court shifts Judgement in Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension case to July 4

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Court Shifts Judgment in Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Suspension Case to July 4



The Federal High Court in Abuja has rescheduled its judgment in the suit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over her suspension from the National Assembly. Originally set for June 27, the judgment will now be delivered on July 4, according to a notice sent to the legal teams involved. No official reason was provided for the change.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, filed the suit challenging her six-month suspension by the Senate on March 5, describing it as unlawful and unconstitutional. Her suspension followed her refusal to relocate to a new seat in the Senate chamber and a confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which included allegations of sexual harassment.

The case lists Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole plaintiff, with the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Senator Nedamwen Imasuen, as the 1st to 4th respondents.

Justice Binta Nyako had originally scheduled the judgment for June 27 after hearing final arguments from both sides. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Michael Numan, SAN, urged the court to void the Senate's action and reject claims that his client disobeyed a court order. He also asked the court to hold the Senate President in contempt for allegedly violating a restraining order issued on March 4, which barred any punitive actions against the senator pending the outcome of the case.

The respondents, however, contested the court’s jurisdiction and asked for the suit to be dismissed for lack of merit.

Justice Nyako also revealed that her ruling will address two related contempt applications: one filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan against Akpabio and others for ignoring the court’s order, and the other by the respondents accusing the senator of breaching a media gag imposed by the court. Akpoti-Uduaghan further alleged that two senior lawyers, Olisa Agbakoba and Monday Ubani, improperly discussed the ongoing case in the media.

As of now, the suspended senator has spent two months and eight days out of office, and will have spent a total of three months and 21 days by the time judgment is expected on July 4.

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