As the legal dispute over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, continues, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has made an appeal to the Supreme Court.

In an attempt to regularise and uphold his appeal against previous decisions made by the lower courts on the subject, Akpabio submitted an application to the Supreme Court.

Read part of the application below:

“Motion on Notice brought pursuant to Order 4 Rules 6 and 16 of the Supreme Court Rules 2024, Sections 22, 27(1) and 29 of the Supreme Court Act, and Section 233 (1) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), under the inherent jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.”

The respondents are Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, and Akpoti-Uduaghan, Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Akpabio is identified as the appellant. The conflict started when Akpoti-Uduaghan brought up privilege and purported procedural violations at a plenary session in February 2025.

Her suspension was suggested by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions when the subject was subsequently reported to them.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, unhappy with the ruling, filed a complaint with the Federal High Court in Abuja, claiming that her right to a fair trial had been violated and that Senate Standing Orders had not been followed.

The court declared the suspension to be disproportionate and unlawful in a ruling rendered on July 4, 2025.

Akpabio took the case to the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal’s hearings.

He is requesting an order confirming his notice of appeal and brief of argument, an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal, and authorisation to appeal on mixed law and fact grounds.

According to Akpabio, the Senate acted in accordance with Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution, which permits the National Assembly to control its internal processes.

It is now anticipated that the Supreme Court will determine whether the appeal will go on.

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