COURT SLAMS N5M FINE AGAINST SEN NATASHA, ORDERS HER RECALL FROM SUSPENSION

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Senate to recall Kogi Central Senator, NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN, saying that her suspension for six months is excessive. Justice BINTA NYAKO made the order in a judgment in a suit arising from the dispute over the sitting arrangement in the Senate, which pitted Senator AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN against the Senate President, GODSWILL AKPABIO. Justice NYAKO faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act, based on which the Senate suspended the Kogi Central Senator, declaring that both were overreaching. The Judge held that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office. In reaching the judgment, the trial judge considered that the federal lawmakers have a total of one hundred and eighty-one sitting days in a legislative year. Therefore, the Court held that the six-month suspension against Senator AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN was the same as pushing her away from her responsibilities to her constituents. However, Justice BINTA NYAKO also held that the Senate President GODSWILL AKPABIO was not wrong to have denied Senator NATASHA the opportunity to speak during plenary on the day in question that she was not sitting at her allotted seat. Therefore, Justice NYAKO ordered Senator NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN to apologise to the Senate, and publish same two national dailies. The Judge also awarded a fine of Five Million Naira against Senator AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN for acting in breach of its order barring parties involved in the case from making public statements about the subject matter of the suit.