By Mercy Gadia Adi
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) on Tuesday officially resumed plenary at the National Assembly after serving a six-month suspension imposed by the Senate earlier in the year.
The lawmaker walked into the red chamber at exactly 11:42 a.m., exchanged pleasantries with a few of her colleagues, and took her seat. She was accompanied to the National Assembly by several civil society activists, including Bring Back Our Girls campaigner, Aisha Yesufu, who was sighted in the Senate gallery.
However, several of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters were reportedly denied access to the gallery.
Her return comes months after a prolonged standoff between her and the Senate leadership following her suspension in March 2025 for alleged misconduct. The Senate had accused the then Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and NGOs of contravening its Standing Orders after she protested against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on February 20.
Although her suspension officially expired in September, the senator had been unable to resume her duties due to unresolved legal and administrative issues.
In July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, declared her six-month suspension unconstitutional and excessive, ordering the Senate to recall her, arguing that prolonged suspension deprived the people of Kogi Central of representation.
Despite the judgment, the Senate maintained that Akpoti-Uduaghan must serve her full term of suspension, while the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamorudeen Ogunlana, insisted his office had no authority to reverse Senate resolutions.
In a letter dated September 11, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), demanded her recall, threatening legal action against the CNA if she was not allowed to resume.
Ogunlana, through his spokesperson, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, subsequently urged patience, stating that only the Senate had the constitutional power to determine her resumption.
Following the expiration of her suspension and the Senate’s return from recess, Akpoti-Uduaghan finally reclaimed her seat, marking the end of a months-long impasse.