Natasha resumes Senate duties today after 6-month suspension

After six months of political drama, legal battles, and intense public attention, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, is set to make her long-awaited return to the Senate today (Tuesday) as the National Assembly resumes from its extended recess.

Confirming the development, Barrister Victor Giwa, counsel to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, told journalists that his client would “walk back into the Red Chamber” as a fully reinstated and legitimate senator following the completion of her suspension period.

“Our client should just go straight and resume on Tuesday. Anything else is merely an opinion. As Femi Falana (SAN) said, the Senate cannot become an institution that legalises illegality,” Giwa said.

READ ALSO: Natasha :Court throws out case against Akpabio

The National Assembly had earlier postponed its resumption from September 23 to October 7, 2025, extending its annual recess by two weeks. The delay stalled deliberations on several key national issues, including constitutional amendments and economic reform bills.

With the lawmakers returning to work today, political observers say the spotlight will be firmly on the upper chamber to see whether Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan will be allowed to resume her legislative duties without obstruction.

Giwa emphasised that the senator had completed her six-month suspension, describing any move to bar her entry as unconstitutional and tantamount to “legislative lawlessness.”

“She has served out the six months, so whatever is before the court now only concerns whether her initial suspension was valid. Denying her resumption would contradict the Senate’s own resolution and plunge the chamber into chaos,” he warned.

He further argued that the Senate must act within the confines of the law and not at the “whims of its leadership,” adding that the National Assembly “is a creation of law, not a tool for personal vendetta.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended on March 6, 2025, after a heated altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has remained defiant, describing her sanction as “unjust and politically motivated.”

Her office, located in Suite 2.05, Senate Wing, was unsealed two weeks ago by the Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, paving the way for her eventual return to the chamber.

Speaking after regaining access to her office, Natasha said she had “no apology to tender” for standing her ground.

“It is amazing how much we have had to endure these past six months from the unjust suspension to the recall. But we survived the recall, blackmail, and that crazy lady on Facebook,” she said defiantly.

“Sometimes it’s good to push the institution to the test. We cannot cower in the face of injustice. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me like a servant. It’s totally unacceptable.”

Natasha’s ordeal began in February 2025, when she protested against the reallocation of her seat in the Senate chamber, a move she described as humiliating and targeted.

Following a heated exchange on the floor, she was accused of misconduct and suspended for six months on the orders of Senate President Akpabio.

The suspension barred her from attending plenary sessions, accessing her office, or participating in committee activities.

Her legal team subsequently challenged the decision, describing it as unconstitutional and a violation of her fundamental rights to representation.

Though the suspension formally lapsed in September, her return was delayed due to lingering legal disputes and procedural resistance from the Senate leadership.

Efforts by this newspaper to reach Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu and the media aide to the Senate President for comments were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered as of press time.