An Abuja Federal High Court has issued an interim order stopping the Senate Ethics Committee from proceeding with its planned investigation of the actions of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, effectively pausing the committee’s deliberations.
The court presided by Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order on Tuesday following an ex parte application filed by counsels to Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central.
The ruling comes as the committee was set to convene and potentially impose an indefinite suspension on the senator.
This interim order halts all proceedings on the matter pending further judicial review.
Recall that on February 20, 2025, during a Senate session, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan discovered that her seat had been reassigned without prior notice.
Interpreting this as an attempt to diminish her visibility and stifle her contributions, she refused to occupy the new seat.
Chief Whip Tahir Monguno cited Senate rules to justify the reassignment, explaining that changes were necessary due to shifts in party affiliations among senators.
Despite this, Akpoti-Uduaghan stood her ground, leading to a heated exchange with Senate President Akpabio, who directed the sergeant-at-arms to enforce the seating arrangement.
Following the seating arrangement dispute, the Senate unanimously voted to refer Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for a disciplinary review.
The committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imaseun, was tasked with submitting its findings within two weeks.
Consequently, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against Senate President Akpabio and his aide, Mfon Patrick. The suit alleged that a Facebook post authored by Patrick, at Akpabio’s behest, contained defamatory remarks about her, including comments on her legislative competence and personal appearance.
The lawsuit seeks damages and a public apology, claiming the publication harmed her reputation and subjected her to public ridicule.
