A Federal High Court in Abuja has halted the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with a disciplinary review against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu issued the ruling on Tuesday in response to an ex parte application filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal counsel, effectively restraining the Senate from taking further action against her pending further hearings.
The legal battle stems from a heated confrontation on February 20 between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seat allocation.
The Kogi Central lawmaker openly rejected her assigned seat and defied Akpabio’s directives by repeatedly raising a point of order, despite being overruled.
The dispute escalated when Senator Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti Central) argued that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions had damaged the Senate’s reputation.
He stated that public perception of the incident had already been shaped by the lawmaker’s stance, making it difficult to clarify the Senate’s position.
In response, the Senate, during its plenary session last Tuesday, adopted a report presented by Adaramodu and unanimously voted to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee for disciplinary review.
Senate President Akpabio directed the committee to investigate the altercation and report back to the chamber.
However, with the court’s intervention, the Senate’s disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan are now on hold, setting the stage for a legal showdown between the lawmaker and the legislative body.
More details to follow as the case develops.