Amid conflicting headlines and heated commentary, the Federal High Court in Abuja has finally cleared the air on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension—stating categorically that no order was given for her recall to the Senate.
The clarification follows the release of the full judgment delivered on July 4, 2025, by Justice Binta Nyako. Contrary to viral reports, the ruling did not mandate the Senate to reinstate Senator Natasha following her six-month suspension.
Legal analyst Dayo Fadugba, who reviewed the entire judgment, explained that while the court acknowledged concerns over the length of the suspension, it made no legal order to challenge or overturn it. “Justice Nyako’s observation about the Senate sitting for about 181 days a year and the suspension being 180 days was merely an aside—what lawyers call an obiter dictum—not an enforceable ruling,” Fadugba said.
At the heart of the judgment was a reaffirmation of the Senate’s right to discipline its own members under Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution. According to the court, Senator Natasha’s suspension followed due process after her case was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
Justice Nyako emphasized that the judiciary cannot interfere with the inner workings of the legislature except where fundamental rights are clearly violated. “If courts were to wade into every utterance or internal deliberation during legislative plenary,” she warned, “this Honourable Court would know no rest.”
The ruling cited previous decisions—including Senator Ali Ndume v. President of the Senate—to stress that while disciplinary power must be exercised fairly, it remains within the Senate’s constitutional purview.
In a sharp rebuttal to public misinterpretation, Fadugba added, “There was no recall, no judicial slap on the wrist for the Senate, and no evidence of constitutional breach. The judgment upholds institutional boundaries and should not be twisted for political narratives.”
So, for those expecting a court-mandated return of Senator Natasha to the Red Chamber—that’s not what happened.What we have instead is a strong message from the court: the legislature must be allowed to govern its own affairs, and not every political fallout warrants judicial intervention.
In the end, this ruling isn’t just about one senator’s suspension—it’s a reminder that the balance of power between arms of government still matters in Nigeria’s democracy.
