Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Resumes Plenary After Six-Month Senate Suspension

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday resumed plenary at the National Assembly following the completion of her six-month suspension.

The lawmaker officially reclaimed her seat at 11:42 a.m., walking into the Senate chamber to a warm reception and exchanging pleasantries with some colleagues.

She was accompanied to the National Assembly by a number of civil society activists, including Aisha Yesufu, the Bring Back Our Girls campaigner, who was seen in the Senate gallery. Several supporters, however, were denied entry into the gallery.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s office — Suite 2.05 in the Senate Wing — was reopened earlier by security officials led by the Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, following the formal expiration of her suspension.

The Senator had been suspended in March 2025 for six months over alleged misconduct after she protested the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The suspension barred her from participating in all activities of the 10th Senate.

Although her suspension ended in September 2025, her resumption was delayed amid legal and procedural disputes.

In July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled that the Senate’s action was “excessive and unconstitutional,” ordering her recall on the grounds that prolonged suspension deprived her constituents of representation.

Despite the judgment, the Senate leadership maintained that she must serve her full term, leading to exchanges between her legal team and the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamorudeen Ogunlana.

In a letter dated September 11, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), demanded her immediate reinstatement, warning that failure to comply would result in contempt proceedings.

Responding through his office, Ogunlana said the CNA lacked the authority to override Senate resolutions, emphasizing that the matter was under the purview of the Senate and the courts.

On Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan finally returned to the red chamber, reaffirming her determination to serve her constituents. During her previous attempt to return, she had maintained that she owed “no apology” for standing by her principles.

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