Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Nears Return as Senate Office Reopens

Fresh signs of reconciliation have emerged in the National Assembly as security officials and the Sergeant-at-Arms unsealed Senate Office 205, belonging to embattled Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP). The move effectively restores her access to the National Assembly complex after months of exclusion.

                                

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 for six months following her protest over the reallocation of her seat during a February 20 session.

As part of her punishment, she was:

• Dismissed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs

• Barred from participating in all 10th Senate activities

Even after her official suspension ended in September, Senate leadership kept her out, citing alleged violations of Standing Orders.

Her case sparked widespread debate on legislative overreach and representation, especially after Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled in July that the extended ban was “excessive and unconstitutional.”

According to parliamentary sources, the decision to unseal her office followed a closed-door meeting of Senate leaders on Monday.

Key expectations include:

• Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro advocating publicly for her reinstatement.

• A formal resolution on her restoration expected when plenary resumes on October 7, 2025.

• A possible public apology from the senator to smooth the reconciliation process.

The development signals a thaw in relations between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan after months of tension.

Earlier in September, her lawyer Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN) warned Senate Clerk Kamorudeen Ogunlana to reinstate her or face contempt charges. Ogunlana responded that his office lacked constitutional power to override Senate resolutions, reinforcing that only senators could decide her fate.

Meanwhile, NASS Information Director Bullah Audu Bi-Allah echoed this stance, emphasizing that the Clerk’s role is purely administrative.