₦airaland Forum

The President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has filed an appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ruled the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as excessive and unconstitutional.

The court, in its July 4th ruling by Justice Binta Nyako, maintained that although the Senate holds disciplinary powers, the six-month suspension denied the people of Kogi Central effective representation.

However, Senator Akpabio, in a Notice of Cross-Appeal lodged at the Court of Appeal, argued that the lower court erred in law by assuming jurisdiction in a matter it had no constitutional authority to entertain. He contended that the Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to determine disputes relating to internal legislative matters as provided in Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution.

Akpabio further submitted that Senator Natasha’s suit was premature, as the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions had not concluded its investigation or submitted its report to the Senate at the time she filed the case. Therefore, he said, the cause of action had not fully matured for litigation, making the suit incompetent.

In addition, Akpabio insisted that the court violated legislative privileges by entertaining a case founded on words spoken during a Senate plenary session. He cited Section 1 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which protects lawmakers from civil or criminal proceedings over their utterances or actions in the chamber.

The appeal also faulted the lower court for raising and determining issues, such as the excessiveness of the suspension, on its own without any request or relief to that effect from Senator Natasha. Akpabio maintained that such a decision violated the principle of fair hearing and amounted to judicial overreach.

The Senate President further argued that the court granted reliefs not sought by the plaintiff when it recommended that the Senate should recall Senator Natasha to continue her legislative duties. According to the Senate President, this was an unlawful overstep of judicial boundaries.

Akpabio is now seeking to have the decision of the Federal High Court set aside, insisting that the lower court occasioned a gross miscarriage of justice by interfering with legislative procedures and exceeding its constitutional limits.

Double wahala for Dead body and the owner of dead body ~ Fela Anikulapo kuti

Dis guys should rest abeg.....i.am tired of reading dis sh*t everyday....we have pressing matters at hand now

Posterity will not be kind to some of these folks

Childish man. I am just thinking about this man's Children and they will feel of the national embarrassment and disgrace that their father is bringing upon them. As a good leader, you let some things go so as to win more. Besides, he is even dealing with a woman and not his fellow man. Haba Akpabio!!!

This case will likely go on till 2027

The court will be going on vacation July 28th till September 17th 2025, only federal high courts in Lagos, Abuja and River State will attend to URGENT court proceeding.

I have said these over & over again... If Natasha thinks she's stubborn, dis men are more stubborn & dangerous dan she think. U can't mess around wit the senate. I told my friend dat since Natasha had appeal de judgement because she doesn't want 2 apologize,& pay 4 court contempt, dis men will cross appeal and prolong her punishment. She is just too arrogant!!! Apology would have ended dis drama long ago but she wan 2 chase shadow and dis men will messed her up & her political career will be over b4 her very own eyes. She can never win dis battle against de senate because she at fault in first place & she does not want 2 apologize because of her Ego but she will learn de hard way because after all dis her court circus she will till need 2 apologize b4 she is accepted back 2 de senate.

The judiciary is headed by a woman i don't think this akpabio's appeal will succeed.

A court judgement has enabled Natasha to be back in the Senate . She will continue as senator while the appeal gives it verdicts.


The appeal does not mean she has to stop her constitutional duties just like suspension of fubara .


The dictators and APC anarchist can not continue to use coarsion to bulkanise our constitution for their selfish gains. Nigeria does not belong to Apc evil cabals but to all Nigerians

Xscape1993:
Childish man. I am just thinking about this man's Children and they will feel of the national embarrassment and disgrace that their father is bringing upon them. As a good leader, you let some things go so as to win more. Besides, he is even dealing with a woman and not his fellow man. Haba Akpabio!!!

Childish man you say?
Someone is trying to rubbish and spoil his political carrier, you're saying he should let go.
Well, everyone has their opinion on nairaland

Didi2d:
Childish man you say?
Someone is trying to rubbish and spoil his political carrier, you're saying he should let go.
Well, everyone has their opinion on nairaland

You will be the first person that I will respond to on N.L since I joined this forum many years ago. Which political career please? You don't build career on lies, deceits, killings, falsehood, pretency, corruption, manipulations, intimation and arrest. Careers are built on the opposite. Thanks.

Folajustin:
I have said these over & over again... If Natasha thinks she's stubborn, dis men are more stubborn & dangerous dan she think. U can't mess around wit the senate. I told my friend dat since Natasha had appeal de judgement because she doesn't want 2 apologize,& pay 4 court contempt, dis men will cross appeal and prolong her punishment. She is just too arrogant!!! Apology would have ended dis drama long ago but she wan 2 chase shadow and dis men will messed her up & her political career will be over b4 her very own eyes. She can never win dis battle against de senate because she at fault in first place & she does not want 2 apologize because of her Ego but she will learn de hard way because after all dis her court circus she will till need 2 apologize b4 she is accepted back 2 de senate.

It would always be a Fola or something similar. Tinubu won't be President forever.

Xscape1993:
You will be the first person that I will respond to on N.L since I joined this forum many years ago. Which political career please? You don't build career on lies, deceits, killings, falsehood, pretency, corruption, manipulations, intimation and arrest. Careers are built on the opposite. Thanks.

Everything you mentioned here refers to Sen Natasha. We are still awaiting her evidence for allegations of sexual harassment

The Court gave Akpabio a soft landing and he's either naive or stubborn to take it. Sometimes you wonder why people like this man are making tough decisions for Nigeria and Nigerians. There are limits to the kind of fights real men should have with women.

Correction, the senate appealed the judgement not Akpabio.

Folajustin:
I have said these over & over again... If Natasha thinks she's stubborn, dis men are more stubborn & dangerous dan she think. U can't mess around wit the senate. I told my friend dat since Natasha had appeal de judgement because she doesn't want 2 apologize,& pay 4 court contempt, dis men will cross appeal and prolong her punishment. She is just too arrogant!!! Apology would have ended dis drama long ago but she wan 2 chase shadow and dis men will messed her up & her political career will be over b4 her very own eyes. She can never win dis battle against de senate because she at fault in first place & she does not want 2 apologize because of her Ego but she will learn de hard way because after all dis her court circus she will till need 2 apologize b4 she is accepted back 2 de senate.

Stop peddling cheap fear tactics — this is exactly the backward mentality that lets corrupt power blocks bully honest leaders into silence. Natasha’s so-called ‘stubbornness’ is what real courage looks like: standing on principle, defending the truth, and refusing to bow to political gangsters in flowing agbada.

What apology does a woman owe to a rotten system that’s more interested in protecting its dirty secrets than serving the people? If these so-called ‘men’ think they’re more dangerous, let them keep exposing themselves. The whole world can now see how far they’ll go to cling to stolen power and intimidate voices they can’t control.

Natasha won’t bend for empty threats. She’s fighting for justice — not shadows. And if that scares them, then let them keep running from court to court. At the end, it’s not her career that will be over; it’s their stranglehold on Nigerians that’s crumbling bit by bit. Keep watching.

Let us remind ourselves of the main issues…

1, Akpabio changed the lady’s seat without prior notification and when she began speaking he asked her to speak from her rightful place, of which she refused. (Official)

2, the woman accuses Akpabio of intimidation and sexual harassment. (Private)

Mangling both to be one and the same is disingenuous. Akpabio is abusing state powers and will go to prison when this case is reviewed later.

Is the punishment for not speaking from your seat suspension?

And what is the punishment for slander/character assassination? Is it determined by the senate?

Remember this is the same senate where seats were tossed, slaps once flew like torpedos and the mace was stolen.

DISTINGUISH SENATOR ETENG WILLIAMS: A LEGISLATIVE ASSET.
Without being emotional, what is good is good and cannot be described otherwise.

The People's Senator is indeed an asset to Cross River State in general and not just the Central Senatorial District that he represents.

Irrespective of party divides and interests, for once let's call a spade, a spade and not a shovel.

As 2027 approaches, the only wish of the people of Central Senatorial District is to return the performing Senator back to the red chamber.

The 11th Senate shall be extremely glad to have a proven performer and astute legislator like Senator Eteng Jonah Williams in the red chamber.

Senator Eteng Williams till 2031.

NO VACANCY in the Central Senatorial District in 2027.

~Comrade Mfam Mbia Asu(CIFIAN),
14/07/2025.

Afritalestv:
The President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has filed an appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ruled the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as excessive and unconstitutional.

The court, in its July 4th ruling by Justice Binta Nyako, maintained that although the Senate holds disciplinary powers, the six-month suspension denied the people of Kogi Central effective representation.

However, Senator Akpabio, in a Notice of Cross-Appeal lodged at the Court of Appeal, argued that the lower court erred in law by assuming jurisdiction in a matter it had no constitutional authority to entertain. He contended that the Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to determine disputes relating to internal legislative matters as provided in Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution.

Akpabio further submitted that Senator Natasha’s suit was premature, as the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions had not concluded its investigation or submitted its report to the Senate at the time she filed the case. Therefore, he said, the cause of action had not fully matured for litigation, making the suit incompetent.

In addition, Akpabio insisted that the court violated legislative privileges by entertaining a case founded on words spoken during a Senate plenary session. He cited Section 1 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which protects lawmakers from civil or criminal proceedings over their utterances or actions in the chamber.

The appeal also faulted the lower court for raising and determining issues, such as the excessiveness of the suspension, on its own without any request or relief to that effect from Senator Natasha. Akpabio maintained that such a decision violated the principle of fair hearing and amounted to judicial overreach.

The Senate President further argued that the court granted reliefs not sought by the plaintiff when it recommended that the Senate should recall Senator Natasha to continue her legislative duties. According to the Senate President, this was an unlawful overstep of judicial boundaries.

Akpabio is now seeking to have the decision of the Federal High Court set aside, insisting that the lower court occasioned a gross miscarriage of justice by interfering with legislative procedures and exceeding its constitutional limits.