Justice Obiora Egwatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has postponed the hearing of the case brought by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, to March 25, 2025.
The senator filed the suit seeking a court order to prevent the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges from investigating her.
The court had initially granted an order in her favor last week, but on Thursday, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months after reviewing the committee’s report.
During Thursday’s proceedings, lawyers representing the first, second, and third defendants claimed they had not been served with the necessary documents. However, Michael Numa (SAN), counsel for Akpoti-Uduaghan, confirmed that all parties had been duly served, presenting affidavits of service to the court. Justice Egwatu reviewed the affidavits and confirmed that all processes had been properly served to the defendants.
Counsel for the third defendant, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, requested an adjournment to allow all processes to be harmonized, a request supported by other counsel to ensure smoother proceedings at the next hearing.
In response, Justice Egwatu adjourned the matter to March 25, 2025, and instructed that all relevant documents be served on the parties before the next hearing.
Peter Nwaebonyi, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, who was present at the session, emphasised the importance of proper legal service. He stressed that the Senate, as a responsible and law-abiding institution, would only respond to court actions once all parties had been properly served.
Nwaebonyi also remarked that it was unusual for the court to interfere with Senate matters, highlighting the institution’s adherence to legal processes.
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