Natasha’s suspension is legislative recklessness –Falana

• demands immediate reversal

Human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, has condemned Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Nigerian Senate describing the suspension as legislative recklessness and demanded its immediate reversal.
Falana in a statement on Sunday, criticised the Nigerian Senate for ignoring multiple court rulings that have declared lawmakers’ suspension illegal.
The senior advocate also pointed out that despite a Federal High Court order restraining the Senate Ethics Committee from taking action against Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senate proceeded with the suspension, openly defying judicial precedents.
Falana urged that “suspending legislators at the whims and caprices of leaders of the federal and state legislative houses must not be allowed to continue in Nigeria.”
The ICIR reported that Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, was suspended for six months on Thursday, May 6, following a heated exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio on February 20 over seating arrangements.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on March 5, ordered the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions to halt its disciplinary hearing.
However, the committee ignored the order and recommended a six-month suspension, adding that the punishment could be reduced if the lawmaker publicly apologised.
The Senate later approved the committee’s report and suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for “gross misconduct” during plenary.
Reacting to the suspension, Falana noted that courts had reinstated all lawmakers previously suspended by the national or state legislatures.
He cited past court rulings, including those by the Court of Appeal, as evidence that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension could be overturned.
“In 2012, our law firm also handled the case of Honourable Rifkatu Danna, the only female member of the 31-member Bauchi State House of Assembly. Danna was suspended in June 2012 for allegedly making uncomplimentary remarks when she challenged the lawmakers’ decision to approve the relocation of the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
“But the Bauchi State High Court declared her suspension illegal and ordered the Bauchi State House of Assembly to reinstate her and pay her withheld salaries and allowances” he said.
Falana demanded an immediate end to the “illegal suspension,” referencing past legal precedents, including a 2010 case in which the House of Representatives suspended Dino Melaye and 10 others
Falana also referenced another senator, Abdul Ningi’s, challenge against the Akpabio-led Senate, which suspended him for three months over his allegation that Nigeria’s 2024 budget was padded. He noted that after Ningi took the matter to the Federal High Court, the Senate reinstated him and paid his withheld salaries and allowances.
“On August 13, 2024, the same court reinstated Hon. Iroju Ogundeji as the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly. In a unanimous ruling, justices Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye, Frederick Oziakpono-Oho, and Yusuf Alhaji Bashir affirmed the decision made by Justice Akintan Osadebey, which reinstated the two-term legislator representing the Odigbo state constituency.
“In the past five years, the High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, and the National Industrial Court nullified the illegal suspension of members of the Houses of Assembly of Kogi and Edo State respectively.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension came days after she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment on February 28 on Arise TV.
It would be recalled that on March 5, that Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted a sexual harassment petition against Akpabio, that same day she was suspended by the Senate.