NASS Bars Senator Natasha’s Return, Cites Pending Court Case

The political standoff between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the National Assembly has deepened, as the lawmaker’s bid to resume plenary duties after serving her six-month suspension was once again blocked.

The Kogi Central senator, whose suspension commenced on March 6, 2025, had formally notified the Assembly that the sanction had elapsed, expressing readiness to return to the chamber. But her hopes were dashed when the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Yahaya Danzaria, replied in a strongly worded letter that her case remains tied up in the courts.

“The subject matter of your suspension is presently before the Court of Appeal,” the letter stated. “Until the judicial process is completed, and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in the light of the court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken by this office to facilitate your resumption. You will be duly notified of the Senate’s decision as soon as the matter is resolved.”

This is not the first time Natasha has clashed with the Assembly over her suspension. On July 12, she made a bold attempt to resume following a Federal High Court ruling that directed the Senate to review its decision. However, she was physically denied entry into the chamber, a move that stirred outrage among her supporters and renewed debate about legislative overreach.

Both the senator and the National Assembly have since filed cross-appeals, pushing the legal battle into the corridors of the Court of Appeal, where the matter now hangs in limbo. Until then, Natasha’s redemptive return to the Senate floor remains suspended in uncertainty.

The episode has fueled sharp conversations in political circles about the balance of power between the judiciary and the legislature, and whether the National Assembly is testing the limits of its authority. For Natasha, however, the fight has become a test of resilience — a struggle not just for her seat, but for the principle of due process in Nigeria’s democracy.