Senate President Godswill Akpabio has approached the Supreme Court to challenge decisions of the Court of Appeal arising from the controversy over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Court documents obtained indicate that Akpabio, acting in his capacity as President of the Senate, has filed fresh applications at the apex court seeking to regularise and sustain his appeal against the appellate court’s rulings on the matter.
The suit, filed at the Supreme Court in Abuja, lists Akpabio as the appellant, with Akpoti-Uduaghan named as the first respondent. Other respondents include the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen.
The dispute traces back to a Senate plenary session in February 2025, during which Akpoti-Uduaghan raised issues relating to parliamentary privilege and alleged procedural irregularities. The matter was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, a process that culminated in her suspension from legislative duties.
Challenging the action, the Kogi Central senator approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging a violation of her constitutional right to fair hearing and non-compliance with the Senate Standing Orders. In a judgment delivered on July 4, 2025, the court considered issues bordering on parliamentary privilege, internal legislative procedures, and the extent of judicial intervention in legislative affairs.
Following adverse rulings at the Court of Appeal, Akpabio has now taken the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal, permission to appeal on grounds of mixed law and fact, and an order deeming his notice of appeal and brief of argument as properly filed and served.
In his filings, Akpabio argued that the appeal raises substantial constitutional and procedural issues deserving the attention of the apex court. He maintained that the Senate acted within its powers under Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the National Assembly to regulate its own procedures.
His legal team further contended that a Senate presiding officer is not under a strict obligation to immediately rule on every point of privilege raised during plenary and that the Senate lawfully activated its internal disciplinary mechanisms in response to what it described as disorderly conduct.
In November 2025, the Court of Appeal struck out Akpabio’s brief of argument for being “incurably defective,” citing violations such as exceeding the prescribed page limit and improper formatting. The court declined his application to regularise the brief, awarded ₦100,000 in costs to Akpoti-Uduaghan, and upheld the lower court’s finding that the six-month suspension was excessive and unconstitutional.
Akpoti-Uduaghan has consistently maintained that her suspension was unlawful and carried out in breach of her right to fair hearing, insisting that the Senate failed to comply with its own Standing Orders before imposing disciplinary sanctions.
SaharaReporters confirmed that on January 21, 2026, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal counsel was formally served with the Supreme Court processes, setting the stage for a full legal contest at the apex court. The case also involves a related contempt proceeding arising from a social media post made by the senator during the pendency of the suit, which she has separately challenged on appeal
