Natasha: Court vindicates Akpabio over seats allocation, orders public apologies

President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, has been vindicated over the unnecessary attacks on his person and office over the decision of the Senate to reassign a new seat to the suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, sitting in Abuja on Friday, gave the Order which vindicated Akpabio in the case filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to challenge her referral to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions as well as her subsequent suspension.

The court upheld the application filed by the 3rd Defendant (Senate President Godswill Akpabio) bordering on contempt. The court found that the satirical “apology” posted by the Plaintiff on her official Facebook page on 27th April 2025 was a clear violation of its restraining order made on 4th April 2025, which barred all parties from making public comments on the matter.

Justice Binta Nyako ruled that the publication was contemptuous, deliberately ridiculing both the Senate President and the judicial process. Accordingly, the court imposed a ₦5 million fine payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria and directed the suspended Senator to publish a public apology within seven days in two national newspapers and on the same Facebook page where the contemptuous publication was made.

On the core issues raised in the substantive suit, the court resolved all the questions for determination against the Plaintiff( Akpoti-Uduaghan). It ruled emphatically that:

-The Nigerian Senate has the constitutional authority to discipline its members for violating its Standing Orders.

-The action of the Senate President on 20th February 2025, in reallocating Senator Natasha’s seat, was lawful and within his administrative powers under Section 6(1) of the Senate Standing Rules.

-A Senator is only permitted to address the plenary from the seat formally assigned, and the Plaintiff acted contrary to Section 6(2) of the Rules when she attempted to speak from an unallocated seat.

-The referral of Senator Natasha to the Senate Ethics Committee for disciplinary action was valid and appropriate, arising from her breach of the Senate Standing Rules

This ruling has far-reaching implications for legislative governance, internal parliamentary discipline, and judicial enforcement of subjudice restrictions. It underscores the judiciary’s deference to the autonomy of legislative bodies in managing their internal affairs, while also upholding the sanctity of court orders and the rule of law.

Legal analysts have described the decision as a watershed in the evolving jurisprudence on separation of powers, parliamentary discipline, and the limits of digital expression by public office holders.