After serving her six-month suspension, the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is expected to resume legislative duties at the National Assembly today (Tuesday), alongside other lawmakers.
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, confirmed the development in an interview with The PUNCH, assuring that the embattled lawmaker would return to plenary without further obstruction.
The Senate had earlier postponed its resumption from September 23 to October 7, 2025, extending its annual recess by two weeks and delaying deliberations on several pending national matters.
Giwa, who cautioned the Senate against any attempt to block his client’s return, maintained that Akpoti-Uduaghan had duly served her suspension and was constitutionally entitled to resume plenary participation.
He said, “Our client should simply go back to work on Tuesday. Anything contrary is just an opinion. As Femi Falana rightly said, the Senate cannot turn itself into an institution that legalises illegality. The National Assembly is a creation of law, and its actions must be governed by law, not by the whims of its leadership.”
He further warned that any move to prevent her from resuming would amount to defying the Senate’s own resolution and could plunge the chamber into chaos.
“She has served the full term of her suspension. Any ongoing legal process is only to determine whether the initial action was valid, not to hinder her return. Denying her access now would contradict the Senate’s own decision and promote disorder,” Giwa added.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has consistently criticised her suspension as unjust, had earlier regained access to her office—Suite 2.05 in the Senate Wing—after it was unsealed by the Deputy Director of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji.
Speaking shortly after regaining access, the senator described Senate President Godswill Akpabio as a “dictator,” insisting she had no apology to offer.
“It’s amazing how much we’ve endured in the past six months—from the unjust suspension to the recall. But we survived it all. Sometimes institutions must be tested. No one is more Nigerian than another. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. It’s unfortunate to see the National Assembly run by such authoritarian tendencies,” she stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, for alleged misconduct following her protest over the reassignment of her seat by the Senate President on February 20. Although her suspension officially ended in September, procedural hurdles and leadership resistance delayed her return.
As the National Assembly reconvenes today, public attention is fixed on the Senate chamber to see whether the Kogi Central lawmaker will be allowed to resume plenary or face further confrontation from the leadership.
Efforts to reach Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu and the media aide to the Senate President for comments were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
