The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned till Tuesday, May 13, to hear the contempt applications filed by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senate, and its President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suit challenging her suspension by the Senate over allegations of misconduct by one of the parties in the case.
In her motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan joined the Clerk of the National Assembly (NASS), the Senate, the Senate President, and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, as the 1st to 4th defendants, respectively.
When the suit was called on Monday, counsel to the suspended Senator, Jibrin Okutekpa, SAN, informed the court that the plaintiff had filed all documents to be relied upon, in compliance with the court’s directive from the last hearing.
Counsel to the Senate, Paul Daudu, SAN, and that of the Senate President, Eko Ejembi Eko, SAN, told the court they had also filed their respective documents. However, they drew the court’s attention to a motion alleging disobedience of a court order by the plaintiff.
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The two senior lawyers, representing the 2nd and 3rd defendants, acknowledged that the plaintiff had responded to their motion.
Justice Binta Nyako, in a previous ruling, barred all parties and their counsel from granting press interviews or making public comments on the subject matter of the case.
“No streaming or social media posts regarding this case by any of the parties and counsel. No TV interviews analyzing the subject matter of this case while it remains sub judice,” she ruled, directing a “total media blackout” until the matter is decided. She subsequently adjourned the case to May 12, 2025, for hearing.
Both the Senate and its President, in their motions, alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan disobeyed the court order by posting a satirical letter of apology to the Senate President on her Facebook page and publishing it in some national dailies on March 27.
Plaintiff’s counsel, Michael Numan, SAN, who took over proceedings from Okutekpa, confirmed receipt of the motion and reminded the court of an earlier motion alleging disobedience of a court order by all the defendants.
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He argued that the statement attributed to the plaintiff had no connection with her and that the alleged contemptuous statement had no nexus with the plaintiff.
Eko Ejembi Eko, representing Akpabio, informed the court that he filed a motion on notice on May 5, alleging that the plaintiff’s Facebook post directly mocked the court’s order.
“The publication in The Punch, which we attached to our motion, shows outright disobedience of the court’s order by the plaintiff,” he said.
Meanwhile, in her counter-affidavit, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan accused the Senate President of attempting to curtail her right to free speech. She maintained that her satirical letter to the Senate President did not breach the court order restraining parties from engaging with the media.
She emphasized that while her viral letter addressed her sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President, the matter before the court concerned her alleged unlawful suspension from the Senate.
The Kogi State Senator had earlier approached the court seeking to restrain the Senate from taking disciplinary actions against her pending the hearing of her suit against the Senate leadership.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the request on March 4 and summoned the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, among others, to appear before the court. However, the Senate proceeded to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months on March 5.
Following an accusation of bias by Akpabio, Justice Nwite recused himself, and the matter was reassigned to Justice Binta Nyako.
At the April 4 hearing, Justice Nyako barred Akpabio, Akpoti-Uduaghan, and their respective counsel from engaging with the media on the substantive issue and fixed May 12 for hearing all pending applications.
However, on May 5, the Senate President, as the 3rd defendant, filed an application seeking a court order directing the suspended Senator to delete the viral satirical letter from her Facebook page and to apologize to the court for allegedly violating its order.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a counter-affidavit on May 8, arguing that it was the third defendant who, through his legal representatives, Chief Olisa Agbakoba and Monday Ubani (both SANs), violated the court’s order.
Defending her satirical letter, the plaintiff contended that while the issue before the court was her alleged unlawful suspension, her letter addressed to Akpabio—not the court—focused on her sexual harassment allegations.
In a 28-paragraph affidavit, she urged the court to dismiss the application for being incompetent, arguing it was an attempt to stifle her right to freedom of expression and delay the hearing of her substantive suit.
“The letter in question was not addressed to the court and bears no connection to the subject matter before the court when considered alongside the issues for determination and the reliefs sought.
“This application is an affront to the authority and majesty of the court. The 3rd defendant has not approached this Honourable Court with clean hands and, as such, should not be indulged. The application seeks to divert attention from the substantive matter and is merely an attempt to delay its determination,” she added.
Justice Nyako then adjourned the matter till Tuesday, May 13, at 12 noon, to hear all the processes filed, including the motions on alleged disobedience of the court’s order.
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