Despite completing her six-month suspension, the Nigerian Senate has told Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, that she cannot return to her seat yet.
In a letter dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, the Senate said her suspension remains in effect until the Court of Appeal rules on the case she filed against the Senate.
Senator Natasha had written to the National Assembly, notifying them of her intention to resume on September 4, 2025. This date, according to her, marked the end of her six-month suspension handed down by the Senate leadership in March.
But the Senate’s response made it clear that her case is still being handled by the court, and until the matter is settled legally, she would not be allowed to return to her duties.
“The matter remains sub judice, and until the judicial process is concluded, no administrative action can be taken to facilitate your resumption,” the letter from the Senate Clerk read.
The Senate added that it would only consider reviewing her suspension after the court delivers its judgment.
This development comes just days after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on Senator Natasha to prepare for resumption, condemning what it described as a deliberate move to silence the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District. The PDP accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to suppress opposition voices.
Senator Natasha, a member of the PDP, was suspended from the Senate in March 2025 after a heated exchange during plenary. She was accused of making unsubstantiated allegations against some senior senators and breaching Senate rules. She denied the accusations and later took the matter to court, seeking to overturn her suspension.
The suspension drew criticism from many Nigerians, civil society groups, and opposition lawmakers, who said the action was politically motivated and an abuse of power by the Senate leadership.
With this latest letter, the Senate has now made it clear that it will not allow her return until the court process is over. This has once again raised concerns over the representation of Kogi Central in the National Assembly, as the senatorial district remains without a voice in the red chamber.
Meanwhile, the PDP and some civil rights groups have vowed to continue pressing for her return, insisting that the people of Kogi Central have been left without representation for too long.
As Nigerians watch the unfolding drama, all eyes are now on the Court of Appeal to see how soon it will decide on the case and what impact that ruling will have on the political balance in the Senate.
