Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Resumption confirmed as the senator returns to plenary after six-month suspension. Legal team warns Senate against obstruction
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Resumption is expected to take centre stage today (Tuesday) as the Kogi Central senator prepares to re-enter the red chamber after serving a six-month suspension.
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According to her lawyer, Victor Giwa, the embattled senator is constitutionally entitled to return to plenary, having completed her disciplinary term.
Giwa cautioned that any attempt to block her resumption would contradict the Senate’s own resolution and provoke what he described as “total chaos.”
He told The PUNCH, “Our client should go straight and resume. The National Assembly cannot be run by the whims of a few individuals. It is a creation of law, not of dictatorship.”
The Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Resumption saga has been a defining test of parliamentary independence in recent months.
Her March suspension, following a confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over her seat reassignment, sparked legal battles, public outcry and accusations of political persecution.
Despite the formal expiration of her suspension in September, Akpoti-Uduaghan was unable to return immediately due to ongoing tensions within the Senate leadership.
Two weeks ago, her sealed office in Suite 2.05 was reopened by the National Assembly’s Sergeant-at-Arms, an early sign that her return was imminent. Yet, tensions remain high.
In a defiant statement, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she had “no apology to tender” and criticised Senate President Akpabio, calling him a “dictator” who treated her like “a servant or domestic staff.”
“It is actually amazing how much we’ve had to pay in the past six months—from the unjust suspension to the recall.
But we survived the recall, the blackmail, and that crazy lady on Facebook,” she remarked.
Her supporters argue that the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Resumption is about more than just parliamentary procedure—it’s a fight for fairness, transparency, and the integrity of legislative democracy.
As the Senate resumes from its extended recess, national attention is fixed on whether she will be allowed to retake her seat or face renewed resistance.
Efforts to reach Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu and the media aide to Senate President Akpabio were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
Also read: Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan office reinstatement hailed as democratic victory
Observers say the outcome of today’s proceedings could send a strong signal about the state of democratic norms within Nigeria’s highest legislative body.
