By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has faulted the suspension of Kogi State Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio – led 10th Senate.
The presiding judge, Justice Binta Fatima Nyako subsequently nullified it and ordered the Senate to recall the suspended senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In nullifying the suspension, Justice Nyako held that Natasha’s suspension for six months violated the Constitution and also denied her constituents of adequate representation.
The judge made the order while delivering judgment in the suit filed by the suspended Senator challenging her six months suspension by the Senate.
Justice Nyako stated that while the National Assembly has powers to discipline any erring members, such discipline should not be too excessive to the extent of depriving her people of representation.
Justice Nyako explained that the six months suspension was excessive because it exceeded the 180 days the house is expected to sit.
However, earlier same Friday, Justice Nyako found her guilty of contempt, stating that the Senator violated a court order by publishing a satirical apology to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on her Facebook page on April 7.
The court held that the publication mocked a subsisting gag order it had imposed on the parties, thereby undermining its authority.
Justice Nyako, therefore, ordered Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a formal apology to the court and publish same within seven days in two national newspapers and also on her Facebook page.
The court, in addition, imposed a fine of N5 million, noting that the contempt occurred in the context of a civil proceeding and even though the contempt proceedings were initiated by Senator Akpabio, the court declined to grant any personal relief in his favour.
