Abuja, Nigeria – Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has withdrawn from hearing the lawsuit filed by suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The judge’s decision came on Tuesday following a petition from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, challenging his objectivity in the case.
Originally scheduled for a hearing, the case took a new turn when Justice Egwuatu, in a brief ruling, announced his recusal and ordered the case file to be returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment to another judge.
Justice Egwuatu had previously issued an interim order on March 4, restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with its disciplinary action against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. The committee had accused her of violating legislative rules. The judge ruled that the process be halted pending the determination of the suit, emphasizing that the lawmaker was entitled to the privileges enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Senate Standing Orders 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
Additionally, the court gave the defendants 72 hours to explain why an interlocutory injunction should not be granted to prevent them from probing the senator without due process. It also permitted the plaintiff to serve legal documents on the defendants through substituted means, including pasting them at the National Assembly and publishing them in two national newspapers.
Despite these judicial directives, the Senate Committee proceeded with its sitting and imposed a six-month suspension on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. Following an application by the defendants, Justice Egwuatu later amended his initial order, lifting the restriction on the Senate’s activities while the case remained in court.
The Senate President’s legal team, led by senior lawyer Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, questioned the court’s jurisdiction over legislative matters, setting the stage for further legal and constitutional debates as the case moves forward under a new judge.
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