Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to seek redress at the appellate court after being denied access to the National Assembly on Tuesday, despite a valid court order directing her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended by the Senate for six months earlier this year, had attempted to resume legislative duties following a ruling by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court which voided her suspension. However, she was prevented from entering the premises by security operatives.
Speaking to journalists outside the National Assembly complex, the Kogi senator condemned the action, accusing the Senate, under President Godswill Akpabio, of flouting a binding court order.
“Akpabio cannot be greater than the Nigerian Constitution,” she declared. “The Office of the Senate President doesn’t give me legitimacy as a senator. The fact that he has filed an appeal does not nullify the judgment of Justice Binta Nyako. I derive my mandate from the people of Kogi who elected me.”
She described her denial of entry as a clear act of defiance against the judiciary.
“That I’ve been denied entrance to the National Assembly is a statement being made,” she said. “It’s on record that the National Assembly under Akpabio has decided to be in contempt of a court decision — and it’s quite ironic that they are lawmakers. That poses the question: how far is our democracy in this day and age?”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also questioned the legitimacy of her original suspension.
“Even the suspension ab initio was fraudulent — the document was faulty,” she said.
She stated that she would meet with her legal team to initiate further legal steps, including an appeal.
“Going forward, I will have a meeting with my legal team so they proceed to the appellate court to seek interpretation into what just happened. I’m a law-abiding citizen,” she added.
As of the time of this report, the Senate leadership had not issued any official response regarding the court judgment or Tuesday’s events.
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