Akpabio Moves to Halt Natasha Akpoti’s Court Case, Escalating Legal Battle

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has petitioned the Court of Appeal in Abuja to suspend proceedings at the Federal High Court concerning Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal challenge against her suspension from the Senate.

According to TRACKLOADED, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months following a dispute over her seat allocation during a Senate plenary on February 20. She subsequently filed a lawsuit contesting the suspension.

On March 4, the Federal High Court issued an interim order barring the Senate from taking disciplinary action against her. However, the Senate ignored the directive and proceeded with her suspension. In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan initiated further legal actions, including contempt proceedings and a request for a mandatory injunction against Senate officials.

During a March 10 hearing, the Federal High Court ruled that all pending applications—including the Senate’s challenge to the injunction—would be heard together. Akpabio’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kehinde Ogunwumiju, argues that this decision deprived them of the opportunity to file an appeal within the legally allowed 14-day window.

On March 20, Akpabio approached the Court of Appeal, seeking to halt the lower court’s proceedings until his appeal is determined. In what appears to be a strategic move, the appellate court set its hearing for March 25—the same day the Federal High Court was scheduled to hear all applications in the case. This could delay Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal challenge.

Akpabio’s argument is that allowing the Federal High Court to proceed while an appeal is pending might undermine any future ruling from the appellate court. This latest legal maneuver presents another hurdle for Akpoti-Uduaghan as she seeks to overturn her suspension.