Natasha: Akpabio, Others Risk Imprisonment Over Alleged Contempt of Court

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central in the Senate, has filed a contempt suit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), and Senator Neda Imasuem, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, accusing them of willfully disobeying a court order.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently serving a six-month suspension from the Senate due to misconduct, insists that her suspension violates a standing court order issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 4. She has now sought legal redress, claiming that the Senate’s actions were in blatant defiance of the court’s directive.

According to the court documents, a notice of disobedience was signed by the court’s Registrar pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004, warning the defendants of possible imprisonment for contempt of court. The Form 48 stated that the defendants “deliberately and contumaciously disregarded” the court’s binding order and proceeded with their actions in “flagrant defiance of the authority of the court.”

It is alleged that the court’s interim injunction, which restrained the Senate from taking further action against Akpoti-Uduaghan, was served on the defendants on March 5, yet they continued with their actions. The injunction was issued following a motion filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Michael Numa, who argued that the Senate Committee should halt its investigation of her over allegations of misconduct.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in response to the application, granted an injunction preventing the Senate from proceeding with the investigation. The court ruled that any actions taken against Akpoti-Uduaghan while the suit was pending would be “null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.”

The court also granted permission for Akpoti-Uduaghan to serve the legal documents on the defendants via substituted means, such as delivering them to the Clerk to the National Assembly, posting them at the National Assembly premises, or publishing them in two national newspapers.

In response to the suit, Senate President Akpabio has questioned the court’s jurisdiction, asserting that the judiciary has no authority to interfere with the internal operations of the Senate.