The Senate unsealed the 205 office of the Senate wing on Tuesday, with the Sergeant at Arms of the National Assembly and combined security personnel in attendance.
The 205 office of the Senate wing is believed to be that of the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In light of this development, the National Assembly has granted the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan access to her office and the National Assembly premises.
According to a reliable source, a decision was reached during yesterday’s Senate leadership meeting, where a motion will be proposed and, barring any amendments, Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South, will move the motion for her to apologize, which will then be seconded and adopted.
As previously reported, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the then-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, received a six-month suspension from the Senate in March, which also prohibited her from participating in all 10th Senate activities due to alleged misconduct when she protested against the reassignment of her seat by Akpabio on February 20, 2025.
Although her suspension ended in September 2025, ongoing legal issues and continued opposition from the Senate leadership have prevented her from resuming her duties. The extended recess may impact the situation as the Senate resumes plenary sessions. Following her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan pursued legal action to vacate the suspension, but was unsuccessful.
The Senate, through its relevant officers, maintained that the matter was unrelated to sexual allegations, but rather Akpoti-Uduaghan’s contravention of the Senate Standing Orders as amended.
In July, Binta Nyako, Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled that the six-month suspension was excessive and unconstitutional, and thus directed the Senate to recall the embattled Senator, pointing out that such a prolonged suspension would leave constituents unrepresented during that time.
In the aftermath, she made attempts to regain access to the Senate but was denied, and the Senate upheld its decision, insisting that she serve out her term in its entirety.
On September 11, Counsel to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Michael Jonathan Numa, SAN, submitted a formal request to the Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA, Kamorudeen Ogunlana, to recall the Senator and enable her to resume legislative duties.
In reaction to the letter from her lawyer, the CNA, Ogunlana, urged the public to remain patient and allow the relevant authorities, including the Senate and the courts, to discharge their constitutional responsibilities in respect of the resumption of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
According to a statement issued by the Director, Information for the Clerk to the National Assembly, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, Ogunlana is not in a position to facilitate her resumption at this time. Furthermore, he emphasized that the determination of whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan can resume her legislative duties without any further or fresh resolution of the Senate following the expiration of her six months suspension rests solely with the Senate and not with the office of the CNA.
