Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio clashed on Wednesday over the Senate’s request to overturn a Federal High Court ruling issued on March 4 in Abuja.
The Senate, represented by its legal counsel Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), filed a motion on March 17, urging the court to nullify Order Number Four from the ex-parte ruling. This order was part of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawsuit against the National Assembly clerk, the Senate, and key officials, including Akpabio and Senator Neda Imasuem, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had approached the court seeking an injunction to halt an ongoing Senate investigation into allegations of misconduct during the February 20 plenary. The investigation, referred by the Senate on February 25, was put on hold by Justice Obiora Egwuatu’s ruling, which declared that any action taken while the case was pending would be invalid.
Ojukwu, arguing on behalf of the Senate, maintained that the ruling violated fair hearing principles under Section 36(1) of the Constitution and should be set aside. “The court should not issue an interlocutory order affecting the rights of other parties before the main case is concluded,” he stated, alleging that the judge had been misled.
Supporting this argument, lawyers representing the clerk, Akpabio, and Imasuem aligned with Ojukwu’s request for the court to reverse its decision.
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Michael Numa (SAN), dismissed the Senate’s claims, calling their motion an attempt to undermine judicial authority. He urged the judge to uphold the existing order and sanction the defendants for disobeying a valid court directive.
“Their request is baseless. The order was properly issued and must be obeyed. Ignoring it sets a dangerous precedent,” Numa argued, citing legal precedents.
After hearing both sides, Justice Egwuatu adjourned the case for a ruling.
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