Hobnob News – Abuja:
Justice Binta Fatima Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order preventing parties involved in the lawsuit filed by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and three others from granting press interviews related to the ongoing case.
The directive was issued on Friday after Akpabio’s legal representative, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), raised concerns about the plaintiff’s repeated media appearances where she allegedly discussed details of the matter pending before the court.
In a concise ruling, Justice Nyako stated that all parties and their legal representatives are henceforth prohibited from granting media interviews or publicly commenting on the case. Additionally, she barred any form of live streaming or dissemination of court proceedings on social media platforms.
Ogunwumiju, representing the Senate President, noted that Senator Natasha had appeared on prominent global platforms like BBC and CNN to discuss the case, a move he deemed inappropriate while the matter is sub judice.
Natasha’s counsel, Jibril Okutepa (SAN), informed the court that the case was appearing for the first time before Justice Nyako following its transfer from Justice Obiora Egwuatu’s court. He emphasized that all necessary filings had been exchanged except for one, and requested a consolidated hearing of both the substantive suit and the pending applications.
Okutepa stressed the urgency of the matter, citing time constraints related to his client’s suspension and her desire for a prompt resolution.
Representatives of the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Senate, including Charles Iyoila and Paul Daudu, did not oppose the consolidation request. However, objections were raised by Ogunwumiju and Umeh Kalu (SAN), counsel to Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct.
In her ruling, Justice Nyako granted the consolidation request, agreeing to hear all preliminary objections alongside the main suit. The case was adjourned to May 12 for a full hearing.
Senator Natasha is contesting the Senate’s decision to suspend her for six months, alleging procedural injustice and denial of fair hearing in the process.
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