Senate President Godswill Akpabio has approached the Supreme Court to challenge rulings of the Court of Appeal connected to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from legislative duties.
Court documents indicate that Akpabio, acting in his official capacity, filed fresh applications at the apex court seeking to regularise and sustain his appeal. The respondents include Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen.
The dispute stems from a Senate plenary session in February 2025, during which Akpoti-Uduaghan raised issues of parliamentary privilege and alleged procedural irregularities. The matter was referred to the Senate ethics committee, which later suspended her, prompting the senator to challenge the action at the Federal High Court over alleged violations of her right to fair hearing and the Senate Standing Orders.
While the lower court ruled that the six-month suspension was excessive and unconstitutional, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal, which also awarded ₦100,000 in costs to Akpoti-Uduaghan. Akpabio has now escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Senate acted within its constitutional powers. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team was formally served with the Supreme Court processes on January 21, 2026, paving the way for a full legal battle at the apex court.