• Claims Akpabio Risk Imprisonment if..,
By Abiola Olawale
The ongoing political drama in Nigeria’s Senate has taken a sharp legal turn as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State at the Senate, has filed contempt charges against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The move comes amid her controversial six-month suspension from the Senate, which she alleged is unlawful and politically motivated.
Natasha’s legal action, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accuses Akpabio, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuem, of allegedly deliberately defying a court order issued on March 4, 2025, by Justice O.A. Egwuatu.
The order reportedly restrained the Senate from taking further disciplinary actions against her pending the determination of her substantive suit challenging the suspension.
According to court documents, Natasha claimed that despite being duly served with the order on March 5, the respondents proceeded with actions that violated the court’s directive, including upholding her suspension and restricting her access to Senate privileges.
The contempt charge warned that Akpabio and the named officials risk imprisonment if found guilty of willful disobedience under Section 72 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act.
The genesis of the crisis goes back to March 6, when the Senate, following a recommendation by its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, suspended Natasha for six months.
The suspension stemmed from a heated dispute with Akpabio over a change in seating arrangements in the Senate chamber, which escalated to a point wherein Natasha accused the Senate President of gross misconduct and sexual harassment.
She has since claimed the suspension was a retaliation for her allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power against Akpabio. The later has consistently denied these claims.
Natasha has not shied away from taking her grievances to both national and international platforms. On Monday, she presented her case at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting at the United Nations in New York, describing her suspension as “illegal” and a reflection of broader systemic challenges for women participation in politics in Nigeria.
