The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Senate to reinstate the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan describing her six-month suspension by the Senate as excessive.
Penpushing reports that Justice Binta Nyako who delivered the judgement faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules as well as section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act, declaring both as overreaching.
The court, emphasized that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office, adding that since lawmakers have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative circle, the six-month suspension handed to Akpoti-Uduaghan was akin to pushing her away from her responsibilities to her constituents for about 180 days.
Penpushing further reports that the court held that though the Senate has the power to punish any of its members who err, pointing out that such sanction must not be excessive to deprive the constituents of their right to be represented.
The court, nevertheless held that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was not wrong to have denied the plaintiff who was not on the official seat that was allotted to her, the opportunity to speak during plenary.
Penpushing also reports that Nyako in same vein dismissed Akpabio’s contention that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit which she said bordered on an internal affair of the Senate.
The court earlier in the ruling awarded million fine against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for acting in breach of its order that barred the parties from making public statements pertaining to the subject matter of the suit, and further ordered her to within seven days, publish an apology to it in two national dailies.
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