A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from conducting a disciplinary proceeding against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central. The order was given by presiding judge Obiora Egwuatu on Tuesday, following an ex parte application filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal counsel.
The controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan began on February 20 when she had a public clash with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seat allocation. The senator rejected her assigned seat and defied Akpabio’s directive. She also raised a point of order several times, despite being overruled, which led to tensions within the Senate.
In response to the incident, the Senator representing Ekiti Central, Yemi Adaramodu, raised a point of order during plenary, stating that the altercation had damaged the Senate’s image. Efforts to clarify the situation and address public perception were reportedly unsuccessful.
As a result of the confrontation, the Senate referred Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Ethics Committee for disciplinary review. This decision was made after the Senate considered and adopted a report presented by Adaramodu during the plenary. A voice vote by the Senate, with Akpabio’s consent, approved the referral for review.
However, with the court’s injunction, the Senate committee is now prohibited from proceeding with the disciplinary actions against Akpoti-Uduaghan for the time being. The matter remains under review, and further developments are expected.
