… Can’t Enforce Judgment She Appealed, Say Experts
… Senator: I Refuse To Submit To Tyranny
By Yinka Giwa
Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP–Kogi Central) has stirred controversy in legal and legislative circles with her dramatic attempt to storm the National Assembly on Tuesday, claiming she was there to enforce a Federal High Court judgment. Ironically, it is the same ruling she is currently challenging at the Court of Appeal.
Legal experts have been left scratching their heads over the senator’s legal gymnastics. Prominent Abuja-based lawyer, Ken Harries, questioned the logic of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions, describing them as “self-contradictory and extra-legal.”
“How does one enforce a judgment she has condemned and appealed?” Harries asked. “There are established procedures for enforcing court decisions. You don’t just barge into the National Assembly and declare yourself unsuspended. That’s not how the law works.”
Harries emphasized that Akpoti-Uduaghan filed an appeal against the judgment only a week ago, asking the appellate court to reverse it. He also reminded the public that the same judgment she claimed to be enforcing imposed certain conditions—such as a public apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page, as well as a N5 million payment—that, to his knowledge, the senator has yet to fulfill.
“If she hasn’t complied with the judgment, how then does she expect it to be enforced? You cannot cherry-pick the parts of justice you like and discard the rest,” he stated, concluding, “Those who come to equity must come with clean hands.”
Observers recall that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March 2025 for six months over alleged breaches of the chamber’s standing rules. But following a court decision which both parties have controversially interpreted as favouring their position, and which the senator unexpectedly appealed, she declared her intention to resume plenary duties on July 22.
In anticipation of her return, security was ramped up around the National Assembly from Monday. On Tuesday, her convoy was halted at the first security checkpoint by armed police officers. After being held for about 30 minutes, Akpoti-Uduaghan and activist Aisha Yesufu disembarked and proceeded on foot to the second gate, trailed by a crowd of supporters.
Her arrival caused gridlock at the entrance, leading to a temporary shutdown of vehicular movement in and out of the complex. At the second gate, a coalition of security personnel, including the National Assembly’s Sergeant-at-Arms, DSS, and Civil Defence officers, blocked her entry, citing “orders from above,” but declined to name the source of the directive.
Addressing journalists from behind the barricade, Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted she remains a “law-abiding citizen” and accused the Senate leadership, particularly Senate President Godswill Akpabio, of persecuting her for daring to speak up, especially about sexual harassment within the red chamber.
While denying any wrongdoing, she revealed that the two criminal charges pending against her relate to alleged defamation and not corruption, drug offences, or violent crimes. She argued that the real criminals were some of her accusers, whom she claimed were facing multi-billion-naira corruption investigations by the EFCC.
“The Senate under Akpabio has been weaponized against dissent. It’s the worst assembly Nigeria has had. People ask me why there’s so much hostility against me, and I tell them—this is what happens when you refuse to submit to tyranny,” she said.
She accused Akpabio of running the Senate “like a third-term governor in Akwa Ibom,” alleging that senators are muzzled and dissent is crushed. She also maintained that her six-month suspension was a direct reprisal for raising a sexual harassment complaint, a claim she has made consistently since her ouster.
Responding to Senate claims that it had appealed the court ruling, Akpoti-Uduaghan presented documents showing that it was Senate President Akpabio—acting in his personal capacity—who filed the appeal, not the institution itself. She characterized the move as a misuse of office and a vendetta.
“There’s no justification for locking me out. My constituents are being denied representation because of one man’s ego. The Senate is vacating tomorrow, but whenever they return, I’ll be back—no matter how long it takes,” she vowed.
Despite her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan pointed to ongoing constituency projects as evidence of her continued service to her people. She cast herself as a symbol of principled resistance, stating that she entered politics to raise leadership standards and hopes her resilience will inspire others particularly women to enter public service.
Whether this episode strengthens her political brand or further complicates her legal troubles remains to be seen. What’s clear, however, is that the Senator from Kogi is not backing down; even if she’s appealing the very judgment she claims gives her the right to walk back into the Senate.