The long-running faceoff between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the leadership of the National Assembly has entered a new phase as the Kogi Central lawmaker is set to return to plenary today (Tuesday) after serving her six-month suspension .
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, confirmed the development, noting that the lawmaker had completed her sanction and could not legally be barred from resuming legislative duties.
“She has served out the six months, so whatever is going to be in court right now is only to determine whether the Senate’s action in March was validly made,” Giwa told Punch. “If you deny her the chance to resume, it means you are even going against your own resolution. That’s total chaos you are fanning, and the National Assembly cannot be seen promoting such.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, which began in March, followed a heated altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over her seat reassignment — an episode that spiraled into a full-blown political standoff.
The senator, known for her fiery stance on transparency and accountability, was accused of misconduct and promptly suspended by the Senate leadership. Her office, located at Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing, was sealed off by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Although her suspension officially lapsed in September, her return was delayed amid internal opposition and legal hurdles.
However, ahead of her resumption, the outspoken senator launched a scathing verbal attack on Senate President Akpabio, describing him as a “dictator” and vowing never to apologize for her actions.
“It is amazing how much we’ve had to pay in the past six months from the unjust suspension to the recall,” she said after her office was reopened on September 23. “We survived the recall, blackmail, and that crazy lady on Facebook. But sometimes it’s good to push the institution to the test. No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me like a domestic staff. It is unfortunate that we will have a National Assembly run by such a dictator.”
As the Senate reconvenes from its extended recess today, rescheduled from September 23 to October 7, all eyes are on whether Akpoti-Uduaghan will be allowed to resume plenary without fresh confrontation — or if another round of political drama will unfold on the Senate floor.
