Drama Looms As Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Storms Senate After Six-Month Suspension

After months of political tension and courtroom battles, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, is set to make her return to plenary today (Tuesday), ending her six-month suspension from the Senate.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, confirmed the development in an interview with Punch, emphasizing that she had fully served her sanction and could not lawfully be prevented from resuming legislative duties.

Giwa cautioned that any move to block her would contradict the Senate’s own resolution and could plunge the National Assembly into what he described as “total chaos.”

“She has already served the six months, so whatever happens in court now is only to decide whether the action in March was legally justified. That has nothing to do with her resumption. Denying her re-entry would mean going against your own resolution and promoting disorder within the National Assembly,” Giwa said.

Ahead of her return, Akpoti-Uduaghan launched a scathing attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, branding him a “dictator.”

Speaking after her National Assembly office was unsealed on September 23, 2025, she declared she would not offer an apology for her past actions.

“It is incredible how much we’ve endured in the last six months—from the unjust suspension to the recall attempts and the blackmail. But we survived it all. Sometimes, it’s necessary to push the institution to its limits. We cannot cower in the face of injustice. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am, yet he treated me like a servant in his house. It is unacceptable to have a National Assembly run by such a dictator,” she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s ordeal began on February 20, when she protested against the reassignment of her seat by Akpabio. She was subsequently suspended on March 6 for alleged misconduct, and her Senate office in Suite 2.05 was sealed by the Sergeant-at-Arms.

Although her suspension technically ended in September, legal hurdles and opposition from Senate leadership delayed her return.

With the Senate reconvening today after its recess was extended from September 23 to October 7, all eyes will be on whether Akpoti-Uduaghan resumes plenary smoothly or faces fresh resistance from her colleagues.