Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Constitution defence sparks clash with Senate as she condemns defiance of court ruling and vows legal action over denied entry
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Constitution defence took centre stage on Tuesday as the suspended senator challenged Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s refusal to honour a Federal High Court ruling that nullified her suspension.
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Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly complex, she warned that no public official is greater than the nation’s constitution.
The senator, who represents Kogi Central, arrived at the complex following the court’s decision by Justice Binta Nyako, which declared her suspension unconstitutional.
However, security personnel denied her access to the chambers, triggering a fresh round of legal and political tension.
“Akpabio cannot be greater than the Nigerian Constitution,” she declared.
“The Office of the Senate President doesn’t give me legitimacy as a senator. I got my legitimacy from the people of Kogi who voted me into office.”
She criticised the Senate’s leadership for defying the court order and described the move as a calculated act of contempt.
“It’s on record that the National Assembly under Akpabio has decided to be in contempt of a court decision. It’s quite ironic that they are lawmakers.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan said the episode exposed broader issues about Nigeria’s democratic health.
“That I’ve been denied entrance to the National Assembly is a statement being made. It poses the question: how far is our democracy in this day and age?”
She also questioned the legality of her initial suspension. “Even the suspension ab initio was fraudulent—the document was faulty,” she added.
Reaffirming her belief in the rule of law, she said her legal team would escalate the matter.
“Going forward, I will have a meeting with my legal team so they can proceed to the appellate court to seek interpretation into what just happened. I’m a law-abiding citizen.”
As of Tuesday evening, the Senate leadership had not issued a public response to the incident.
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The silence, combined with continued enforcement of a voided suspension, adds weight to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s criticism and fuels concerns about constitutional accountability.
