The National Assembly has said Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot return to her seat in the Senate despite serving out her six-month suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, had formally written to the leadership of the Assembly, notifying it of her intention to resume legislative duties after the suspension lapsed on September 6.
But in a letter signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Yahaya Danzaria, the senator was informed that her suspension remained a live matter before the Court of Appeal. The clerk maintained that until the judicial process runs its full course, she would not be allowed into the red chamber.
“The subject matter of your suspension is presently before the Court of Appeal. The matter therefore remains sub judice and until the judicial process is completed, and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in the light of the court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken by this office to facilitate your resumption,” the letter read in part.
Danzaria added that Akpoti-Uduaghan would be “duly notified” once the Senate reaches a decision on the matter.
The senator had earlier attempted to resume on July 12 after a Federal High Court directed the Senate to review her suspension. She was, however, turned back at the National Assembly gate. Both the lawmaker and the Assembly subsequently filed appeals against portions of that judgment, which are still pending before the appellate court.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 following a heated face-off with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seating arrangements in the chamber. The senator later accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, alleging that her suspension was an act of victimisation for rejecting his advances—an allegation the Senate President has since denied.
Her continued exclusion from the chamber has triggered debates in political and civil society circles, with critics arguing that the suspension undermines representation for the people of Kogi Central.
