The attempt by the Senator representing Kogi state, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to resume sitting at the Nigerian Senate was on Tuesday blocked by the joint efforts of the men of the Nigerian Police Force, NPF and other security personnel at National Assembly.
The magazine reports that the suspended senator had arrived the NASS complex in Abuja, the nation’s capital in company of some human rights activist, including Aisha Yesufu, Mama P and others to enforce the court order which nullified her suspension by the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate.]
Natasha was suspended for six months in March this year by the senators after altercation between her and Akpabio over sitting positions in the Red Chamber.
A recent court order by the Justice Binta Murtala Nyako reinstating her has been interpreted differently by the two parties.
Speaking to journalists after she was prevented from entering the Senate by security agencies, Natasha said she was surprised that she was not allowed to resume her work as a senator having notified the Senate of her decision earlier.
She slammed Akpabio and the management of the Senate for violating the law they were meant to uphold, wondering why she was blocked from the Chamber when the court judgment has been appealed by Senator Akpabio.
As a dully elected senator she stressed that she was being prevented from representing her people in the National Assembly.
She said, ”It’s about me, a duly elected senator walking into the chambers to resume my constitutional duties.
“I had duly notified the Senate through two letters that I would be resuming functions today, July 22nd, 2025.”
The senator raised two major concerns: the heavy police presence and the Senate’s alleged defiance of a court order.
“The number of armed policemen we met outside, all well-kitted with guns, charging at an unarmed female senator, was shocking.
“We have people here, attractive Nigerians, who witnessed this.
“The second thing is the fact that the Senate, under its leadership, has decided to become lawbreakers by denying my entrance into the chambers to resume my duties,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also addressed what she called a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the court’s ruling in the media.
She said, ”There’s been some conversations in the media by their own team trying to twist a narrative that the judge did not order my reinstatement, and I’d like to clarify that.
“If you look at Section 318 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, it’s very clear that decisions of a court come in five ways: a judicial decree, a sentence, an order, a conviction, and a recommendation.”
“Mine tilted towards a recommendation, which some interpret as voluntary, meaning the Senate has the right to comply or not.
“But I’d like to clarify that again.
“If you go further to Section 287, Subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution, it clearly specifies that decisions, any of these five decisions of any court, are binding on every authority.
“So, what that means in simple terms: whether Justice Binta Nyako or the Federal High Court made an order, a sentence, a judicial decree, or a recommendation, however they want to interpret the literal words, it is still a decision of a court, and it is still binding on the National Assembly.”
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