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Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed an appeal seeking to overturn a Federal High Court ruling that directed the Senate to reinstate Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who had been suspended.

The appeal, dated July 14, 2025, was submitted to the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

Akpabio is contesting the July 4 decision handed down by Justice Binta Nyako, which declared the Senate’s six-month suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan as unconstitutional and a violation of the right of her constituents to be represented in the Senate.

While the judge acknowledged that the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, she ruled that both the duration and nature of the suspension were disproportionate.

Additionally, the court imposed a ₦5 million fine on Akpoti-Uduaghan for contempt, citing a humorous Facebook post she made during the trial that was said to breach a standing court order.

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In response, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed her own appeal, disputing the contempt ruling on the basis that the alleged offense occurred outside the courtroom what is legally known as ex facie curiae and therefore falls outside the court’s jurisdiction.

At the same time, Akpabio’s legal representatives have submitted a cross-appeal, arguing that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over the matter. They contend the case revolves around internal legislative matters, which they say are not subject to judicial review under Section 251 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

Akpabio’s 11-point appeal takes issue with the trial judge’s dismissal of his preliminary objection and criticizes what he described as judicial overreach into legislative autonomy. He referred to the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act as a basis for shielding parliamentary processes including suspensions, debates during plenary sessions, and Senate resolutions from external legal interference.

Furthermore, the appeal argues that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawsuit was filed prematurely, bypassing internal resolution channels like the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, as outlined in the 2023 version of the Senate Standing Orders.

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Akpabio also alleged that the court acted unfairly by deciding on matters such as the proportionality of the suspension that were not raised by either party, which he sees as compromising the court’s neutrality.

The appeal also challenged the court’s decision to merge interim reliefs with the substantive issues in the case, which Akpabio’s lawyers say violates standard legal procedures.

Lastly, his legal team claimed that the suit should have been dismissed entirely for failing to provide a mandatory three-month pre-litigation notice to the Clerk of the National Assembly, as stipulated in Section 21 of the Legislative Houses Act.

Akpabio is urging the appellate court to set aside the lower court’s decision and uphold the Senate’s disciplinary action against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

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