Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has announced she will return to the Senate on Tuesday, following a court judgment that nullified her six-month suspension by the Senate.
In a video shared on social media, the senator expressed gratitude to her supporters. “I thank you for your support. I am glad we are victorious today. We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God,” she said.
Her suspension, which began in March 2025 after a heated plenary where she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, drew wide condemnation from civil society groups and human rights organisations.
On Friday, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the Senate’s action was “excessive, unconstitutional, and an infringement on the rights of her constituents.” The judge ordered her immediate recall to the Senate.
However, the court also found Senator Natasha guilty of contempt for violating a March 4 interim order that barred all parties from making public comments on the case. Her satirical Facebook post on April 27, which mocked Akpabio, was seen by the court as a breach of that order.
As a result, the court imposed a **₦5 million fine** on her and ordered her to publish a public apology in two national newspapers and repost it on her Facebook page within seven days.
Natasha’s legal team argued that the post was about her personal claims of misconduct against Akpabio and unrelated to the court case. But the judge disagreed, saying the post was clearly linked to the ongoing legal matter.
The ruling marks a major legal win for the embattled senator, who had maintained that her suspension was an attempt to silence her and suppress the voice of her constituents.
