Senate President Godswill Akpabio has launched a blistering legal counteroffensive against the recent judgment of the Federal High Court, which ordered the Senate to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing her six-month suspension as excessive and unjustified.
In a detailed cross-appeal filed at the Court of Appeal on July 14, 2025, Akpabio—through his lead counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN—accused the trial court of overreaching its judicial boundaries, warning that the judgment, if left unchallenged, could “erode parliamentary independence” and destabilize Nigeria’s democratic balance of power.
“The court cannot grant a relief that was not asked for,” the appeal stated, pointing out that the Federal High Court’s recommendation that Senator Natasha be recalled was not one of the reliefs she sought in her originating summons. “The court crossed the line.”
The Federal High Court had ruled that Natasha’s suspension, handed down in March 2025, was unconstitutional and unduly punitive, urging the Senate to recall her to uphold democratic representation. However, Akpabio’s legal team described this as a clear case of judicial overreach.
The cross-appeal argues that:
The Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction over matters related to internal legislative procedures, especially those protected under the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
Senator Natasha filed her case prematurely, even before the Senate Committee on Ethics concluded its investigation.
The mandatory three-month pre-action notice to the National Assembly was never served, rendering her suit procedurally defective.
In a stinging rebuke of the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, Akpabio accused the court of introducing new issues on its own—including ruling on the excessiveness of the suspension—without affording the parties a hearing, thereby breaching the principles of fair hearing and natural justice.
“No judge should raise and decide new issues without hearing from all sides. This was a serious breach,” the cross-appeal stressed.
Akpabio is seeking to reverse the lower court’s recommendation on Natasha’s recall, to strike out the entire suit for lack of jurisdiction, and to protect the Senate’s constitutional autonomy from what he calls unwarranted judicial intrusion.
This escalating legal clash now sets the stage for a high-stakes constitutional showdown at the Court of Appeal, one that could reshape the evolving tensions between the judiciary and legislature in Nigeria’s democracy.
A date for hearing has not yet been fixed.
