By Abiola Olawale
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has hailed a recent Court of Appeal judgment as a “landmark decision,” asserting that the verdict reinforces the constitutional authority of the Red Chamber to maintain internal order and discipline its members.
The ruling, delivered on Monday, February 9, 2026, by a three-member panel in Abuja, dismissed an appeal seeking to curtail the Senate’s disciplinary powers.
Speaking at an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, Akpabio emphasized that the decision validates the independence of the legislature and its adherence to the Senate Standing Orders.
The legal battle stemmed from the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) in March 2025.
The appellate court’s unanimous decision, led by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, clarified that the Senate’s power to discipline its members is constitutionally protected under Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution.
Speaking on Tuesday, Akpabio described the verdict as a “landmark decision” and congratulated the Senate.
“I must congratulate the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the landmark decision of the Court of Appeal on Monday which affirmed that our rules are different from the Nigerian constitution and that the standing orders of the Senate must always be obeyed,” he said.
Akpabio said the ruling confirmed the suspension earlier handed to Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Kogi central senator, for what he described as “very unruly behaviour” in the chamber.
“Any community without law and order will live in anarchy and so the suspension that you earlier handed over to one of your colleagues for very unruly behaviour in the senate was confirmed by the Court of Appeal,” he said.
Akpabio said the judgment was “judicially confirmed by the court of appeal,” adding that the court “went further to say that you have the powers to discipline any erring officer of government”.
He also applauded the judiciary, saying, “We also applaud the judiciary for their firmness”.
