Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is set to return to the Senate today (Tuesday) after serving her six-month suspension.
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, confirmed her planned resumption in an interview with The PUNCH, saying the lawmaker representing Kogi Central has completed her punishment and is legally entitled to resume work.
“To me, our client should just go straight and resume on Tuesday. Anything else they say is just an opinion. As Femi Falana said, the Senate cannot become an institution that legalises illegality,” Giwa said.
He warned that any attempt to stop her from entering the chamber would amount to defying the Senate’s own decision and could lead to “total chaos.”
“She has served out the six months. If you deny her the chance to resume, it means that you are even going against your own resolution. That is total chaos you are fanning, and the National Assembly cannot be seen promoting such,” he explained.
The Senate had initially planned to resume on September 23 but shifted its return to October 7, extending its annual recess by two weeks.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s office, located in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing, was unsealed two weeks ago by the Deputy Director of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, marking the first sign of her reinstatement.
Upon her return to the National Assembly building, the senator expressed her frustration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling him a “dictator.”
“It is actually amazing how much we have had to pay in the past six months, from the unjust suspension to the recall. But we survived the recall, blackmail and that crazy lady on Facebook,” she said.
She added, “Sometimes it is good to push the institution to the test. We can’t cower in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He treated me as if I were a servant in his house. It is totally unacceptable.”
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Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, after clashing with Akpabio over the reassignment of her seat during plenary on February 20. The Senate accused her of misconduct and barred her from all activities for six months.
Although her suspension ended in September, her return was delayed due to ongoing legal issues and opposition from Senate leadership.
Efforts to reach Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu and Akpabio’s media aide for comments were unsuccessful.
As the National Assembly resumes today, attention will be on the red chamber to see whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will walk freely into plenary — or face fresh resistance.