Court vacates order declaring Natasha’s suspension as void

THE Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, set aside its order of March 4, declaring the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate as null and void.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling, vacated the order after listening to the arguments of counsel for the plaintiff and lawyers to the defendants in the suit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Justice Egwuatu granted Natasha’s five reliefs on March 4, including order number four which declared any action taken by the defendants during the pendency of the suit as null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

The judge granted the five prayers after Sanusi Musa, who appeared for Natasha, moved the ex-parte motion  marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025.

Natasha, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, had, in the motion ex-parte, sued clerk of the National Assembly (NASS) and the Senate as first and second defendants.

She also named the president of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Senator Neda Imasuem, who is the chairman, Senate committee on ethics, privileges and code of conduct as third and fourth defendants respectively.

The senator had sought an order of interim injunction restraining the Senate’s committee headed by Imasuem from proceeding with the purported investigation against her for alleged misconduct sequel to the events that occurred at the plenary on Feb. 20, pursuant to the referral by the Senate on February 25, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction, among others.

However, the Senate, in a motion on notice filed on March 17 by its lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, had sought an order setting aside order number four in the enrolled ex-parte order made by Justice Egwuatu against the defendants in Natasha’s suit.

The Senate, through Ojukwu, urged the judge to vacate the order in the interest of fair hearing.

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Citing Action 36(1) of the constitution, the lawyer argued that order number four was interlocutory in nature and ought not to have been granted by the court.

He argued that the said Order Number Four was vague, ambiguous and lacking in specificity as it did not specify which of the parties it was targeted at or referring to and what actions it related to.

He also argued that the order, in the form in which it was granted, “refers to all actions of whatever nature, without any limitation, taken by both the plaintiff/ respondent and the defendants.”

According to him, the law prohibits the granting of a vague order by a court of law.

He said the order, which was made exparte, was made to last until the determination of the suit.

Ojukwu said enforcing the said order, as granted, would result in a constitutional crisis and anarchy, as the entire legislative duties of the Senate would be made to grind to a halt.

NAN reports that after March 4 order, the Senate proceeded to suspend Natasha in March for six months.”

In her contempt charge, the embattled lawmaker argued that her suspension constituted willful disobedience to the subsisting court order issued on March 4.