Tuesday, May 13, 2025 - Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday, May 13, appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja for the hearing of the suit she filed challenging her suspension by the Senate on March 6.
The Senate had suspended her for six months on the grounds
of alleged misconduct, days after she accused the Senate President of Sexual
harassment, an allegation he denied.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had, in her motion, joined the National
Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Neda
Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of
Conduct, as defendants.
When the suit which was reassigned to Justice Binta Nyako,
following the withdrawal of Justice Obiorah Egwuatu, from the matter, was
called on Monday, May 12, counsel to the suspended Senator, Jibrin Okutekpa
(SAN), told the court that the plaintiff has filed all the documents to be
relied on in the matter, in line with the directive of the court at the last
hearing.
Counsel to the Senate, Paul Daudu (SAN), and that of Senate
President, Ekwo Ejembi, told the court that they have also filed their various
documents to be relied on in the matter but drew the attention of the Court to
a motion for disobedience to the order of the court against the plaintiff.
The two senior lawyers representing the 2nd and 3rd
defendants in the suit said, the plaintiff has responded to their motion.
They both alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan disobeyed the
order of the Court when she, on March 27, posted a satirical letter of apology
to the Senate president on her Facebook page and published it in some national
dailies.
Plaintiff’s counsel, Michael Numan (SAN), confirmed the
receipt of the motion and reminded the court of a motion for disobedience of
the court order against all the defendants filed earlier.
He said the alleged statement credited to the plaintiff has
no connection with her, adding also that the alleged contemptuous statement has
no nexus with the plaintiff.
Eko Ejembi Eko, representing Akpabio, said he filed a motion
on notice on May 5, alleging that the Facebook post made by the plaintiff was a
direct mockery of the order of the court.
Meanwhile, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in her
counter-affidavit, accused the Senate President of attempting to curb her right
to free speech, maintaining that her recent satirical letter to the Senate
President was never in breach of a court order barring parties before the court
from speaking with the media.
The suspended senator pointed out that while the content of
her viral letter centred around her s#xual harassment allegations against the
Senate President, the matter before the court was her alleged unlawful
suspension from the Senate.
Watch a video of Natasha in court today below…
Senator NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN appears in court for hearing suit challenging her suspension from the Senate pic.twitter.com/vckbKTnfaV
— DAILY POST 🇳🇬 (@dailypost_ng) May 13, 2025
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