Tension In Abuja: Natasha Vows Tuesday Senate Comeback Despite Akpabio’s Plea!

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, has reaffirmed her decision to resume legislative duties at the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, despite ongoing legal appeals by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has reaffirmed her determination to resume legislative duties at the Senate on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, asserting her constitutional right to return, which she says has been solidly upheld by a Federal High Court ruling. She communicated her decision in a formal letter to the Senate leadership.

Speaking during a constituency empowerment programme, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that she has about two months remaining on her six-month suspension but will not wait for it to lapse. “I have written to the Senate again telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd, which is on Tuesday, by the special grace of God. I will be there because the court did not merely give an order — it made a clear decision,” she declared. According to iReporter Online, the senator maintained that the judgment provides sufficient legal authority for her reinstatement, regardless of the pending appeal.

She lamented that her suspension, while not halting her community-based engagements, severely limited her ability to fulfill one of her key responsibilities — lawmaking. According to iReporter Online, Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that although she continued with constituency representation and ensured key community issues were captured in the federal budget, being barred from legislative activities hampered her ability to sponsor bills and perform oversight duties. “Every senator is expected to create laws, oversee executive agencies, and represent their constituents. I’ve done the latter, but I miss contributing to national legislation,” she said.

Meanwhile, her resolve to return to the Senate comes as Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn the ruling that invalidated her suspension. The appeal, marked CA/A//2025 and dated July 14, challenges the decision by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, who described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as excessive and lacking legal merit. According to iReporter Online, Akpabio has listed 11 grounds in his appeal aimed at reversing the order for her reinstatement.

According to iReporter Online, Akpoti-Uduaghan is proceeding with her plans to resume in defiance of Senate leadership’s stance, confident that the judiciary’s pronouncement guarantees her rightful place in the Red Chamber.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”