The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has ordered the Senate to recall Kogi Central Senatorial District senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, condemning her six-month suspension by the upper chamber as “excessive”.

Justice Binta Nyako, the judge who presided over the matter on Friday, stated that the six-month suspension given to the senator was excessive since lawmakers have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative cycle.

Mrs Nyako faulted the Senate Standing Rules, as well as section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act, describing her suspension as “overreaching.”

The judge noted that while the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules, as well as section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, allows the Senate president to suspend the Senate for a particular period, it did not specify the maximum period a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.

Ms Nyako said the length of the suspension pushes Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan away from representing her constituency and deprives the senatorial district of representation.

The judge then advised that the legislative houses should review their laws, as it is overreaching.

Meanwhile, Justice Nyako also ruled on the contempt claim filed by Mr Akpabio against Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of flouting the court order by posting a “satirical letter” on her Facebook page.

The judge referred to the matter as civil contempt and stated that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan had breached the court’s April 14 order, which barred the parties from making public statements pertaining to the subject matter of the suit.

The judge then ordered the Kogi senator to publish an apology in two national dailies and, within seven days, post an apology on Facebook, also imposing a fine of N5 million on her.

Justice Nyako also held that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan did not adhere to the Senate rules and that Mr Akpabio was not wrong to refuse her permission to speak during the plenary.

She cited the Senate rules stipulating that no matter the urgency, a senator must be in their allocated seat before being allowed to speak during plenary.

The Kogi senator had, in a motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, sued the clerk of the National Assembly (NASS) and the Senate as the first and second defendants.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also named the Senate president and Senator Neda Imasue, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, as the third and fourth defendants,  respectively.

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