By Emamuzo Iboma
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has reaffirmed the Senate’s constitutional authority to discipline its members for unethical conduct. Justice Binta Nyako, delivering judgment on Friday, stated that under Senate Rules, the Senate President is empowered to allocate seats to members, and speaking from an unassigned seat constitutes a violation of the rules.
The court held that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was not entitled to speak during the Senate’s February 20 session because she did so from a seat not assigned to her. Justice Nyako further affirmed the Senate’s power to suspend members but described the six-month suspension imposed on Senator Natasha as excessive. She noted that Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act lack specific guidelines on the maximum length of suspensions.
The judge pointed out that lawmakers are expected to sit for 181 days in each legislative year and suspending a senator for six months effectively excludes the lawmaker from nearly the entire session, depriving constituents of their right to representation. Justice Nyako urged the Senate to reconsider its decision and recall Senator Natasha, allowing her to resume her duties and serve her constituents. She also encouraged her to tender an apology to the Senate.
In an earlier part of the judgment, the court found Senator Natasha guilty of contempt for breaching a previous order restraining parties from making public comments on the case. She had posted a satirical letter on her Facebook page on April 27 in violation of the court’s April 4 order. As a consequence, she was fined N5 million, payable to the Federal Government, and was ordered to publish a public apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days.
The court clarified that the contempt was civil in nature, and while it does not attract imprisonment, Senator Natasha must comply by paying the fine and issuing a public apology.
