We Will Not Reinstate You Now Until You Produce Court’s CTC- Senate Tells Natasha

We Will Not Reinstate You Now Until You Produce Court’s CTC- Senate Tells Natasha
The Senate on Sunday, 13 June, 2025 has gave reason why it cannot reinstate the suspended Kogi Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
According to the Upper chamber, it will not recall the lawmaker until it considers the contents of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court judgment in the case involving her and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, 13 July, 2025 in Abuja.
Adaramodu, who is also the red chamber image- maker, said that the upper legislative chamber had applied for the CTC, just as he also added that that until the document was received and studied, the Senate could not take a position on the matter.
“The Senate had applied for the CTC since Monday. We expect to get the document, and once we get it, we are going to comply with the content of the court order.
“But first, the Senate will sit and consider the contents of the CTC, and when we look at the contents, then we shall take a position.
“It was for this that we have Standing Orders. And enforcing the orders means that anybody that contravenes it, the aggregated whole chamber of the Senate can reprimand such a person,’’ he said,
Adaramodu also expressed regret that even when the court ruling had given vent to that, some people were still saying something else.
“Possibly, what they were expecting was that anybody can disobey; anybody can break any rule, and that the Senate must not take any stand,’’ he said.
The Senate spokesperson added that, if it is established that the Senate can reprimand an offending senator and that it is not in their books how many days or hours such a senator being reprimanded can be given, then it is at the discretion of the Senate to apportion a period for the suspension of a member being reprimanded.
“Whoever that is not a legislator cannot understand how the legislature works,” the senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, just as he also explained that the 180-day suspension handed down to Akpoti-Uduaghan included non-parliamentary days.
“What the Senate rules say is that you should observe, adhere to, and fulfill the 180 parliamentary days,’’ he said.
Recall that the Senate had, on March 6, 2025 suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months amid the sexual harassment allegation she had made against Akpabio.
The suspension came after a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, as presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Neda Imasuen (APC–Edo South).
Natasha later took the matter to a Federal High Court, Abuja Division, where the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, last week ordered the Senate to recall her from suspension.
The court, however, sanctioned Akpoti-Uduaghan for contempt and ordered her to pay a ₦5 million fine.