Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a contempt lawsuit against Akpabio and others following Senate’s 6-month suspension.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has taken legal action against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, filing a contempt charge following her six-month suspension from the Senate.
Also named in the suit are the Clerk of the National Assembly and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct. The senator argues that her suspension directly violates an existing court order issued on March 4.
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The Federal High Court in Abuja has formally notified the defendants of their alleged disobedience to the court order. In a notice of disobedience signed by the court registrar, the defendants were warned that their actions could amount to contempt of court, potentially leading to imprisonment.
The legal document, known as Form 48, asserts that Akpabio, Imasuem, and the Clerk of the National Assembly deliberately defied a binding judicial directive, proceeding with actions that disregard the court’s authority. It further states that an enrolled order of interim injunction was duly served on the defendants on March 5.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu had previously granted an ex-parte order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct from investigating Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan over alleged misconduct. The court’s injunction followed a motion filed by the senator’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Michael Numa.
The investigation in question stemmed from events at the Senate plenary on February 20 and was referred for review on February 25. The court ordered that the probe be halted pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion for an interlocutory injunction.
Additionally, the court instructed the defendants to justify why an interlocutory injunction should not be issued to permanently prevent them from proceeding with the investigation. The judge emphasized that any action taken against the senator while the case remains unresolved would be deemed null and void.
Furthermore, the court permitted Akpoti-Uduaghan to serve legal documents on the defendants through substituted means, either by delivering them to the Clerk of the National Assembly, pasting them on the premises of the National Assembly, or publishing them in two national newspapers.
In response, Senate President Akpabio has challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the judiciary should not interfere in the internal affairs of the Senate. The court has scheduled further proceedings in the case for March 25.
