Natasha: CSO backs Senate decision to follow due process on planned resumption

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A civil society group, the Centre for Leadership Training, has called on Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to wait for the court’s final ruling on her suspension before attempting to resume her duties in the National Assembly.

Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently under suspension by the Senate.

The senator had written to the National Assembly, expressing her intention to return to plenary sessions and participate in Senate activities, stating that the six-month suspension imposed earlier this year had already expired.

However, the Senate has indicated that it will not revisit the issue until the legal proceedings surrounding the suspension are concluded.

In a letter dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, the Senate reaffirmed its position to adhere strictly to due process and the rule of law.

According to the clerk, the matter remains under judicial consideration, as the suspension, which took effect on March 6, 2025, is still being reviewed by the Court of Appeal.

The letter addressed to the senator stated, “The subject matter of your suspension is presently before the Court of Appeal. The matter therefore remains sub judice, and until the judicial process is concluded and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in the light of the Court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken by this office to facilitate your resumption.”

The clerk added that the Senate’s final position would be communicated once the judicial process has run its course and the issue is formally reconsidered.

In response, the Centre for Leadership Training, through a statement signed by its President, Chief Azuka Francis, criticized the senator’s move to resume, stating that any attempt to bypass legal and institutional processes—whether through misrepresenting timelines or anticipating court outcomes—erodes the principles of the rule of law, which all lawmakers are duty-bound to uphold.

Parts of the statement read, “First, Senator Natasha’s stated resumption date is erroneous. Her suspension, as resolved by the Senate, runs its full course until Saturday, September 6, 2025. It is therefore premature and inconsistent with the Senate’s resolution for her to attempt a return before the expiration of the subsisting sanction.

“Secondly, Senator Natasha has herself taken the matter before the court of law, seeking redress against the Senate’s disciplinary action. As a law-abiding institution founded on the principles of constitutionalism, separation of powers, and respect for judicial authority, the Senate cannot — and will not — act in a manner that prejudices the ongoing judicial process.

“It is therefore imperative for both Senator Natasha and the institution she is a part of to allow the court’s final adjudication on the matter. Any attempt to short-circuit due process, whether by misrepresenting timelines or seeking to preempt judicial pronouncements, undermines the rule of law which every legislator has sworn to uphold.

“The Senate remains firmly committed to fairness, discipline, and the sanctity of its internal rules, while at the same time demonstrating absolute fidelity to the Nigerian Constitution and the authority of the courts. Until the judiciary has made its final pronouncement, all parties must exercise patience, respect due process, and uphold the integrity of democratic institutions.”

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