Senate President Godswill Akpabio has questioned the authority of the Federal High Court in Abuja to hear a suit filed by suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Represented by his lead counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), Akpabio argued that the court lacked the power to interfere in Senate affairs.
During proceedings on Monday, March 10, Ogunwumiju also claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan had yet to properly serve court papers, preventing him from filing an application to challenge the suit’s competence.
The case also lists the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions as defendants.
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However, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Numa (SAN), insisted that all parties had been properly served, pointing to affidavits already in court records. After reviewing the documents, Justice Obiora Egwatu confirmed that all defendants had been served.
At that point, Akpabio’s legal team requested a short adjournment to allow time for harmonising legal processes. With all parties in agreement, Justice Egwatu adjourned the case to March 25 and directed all sides to file and exchange necessary documents before the hearing.
Earlier, on March 4, the court hard issued an interim order stopping the Senate Ethics Committee from proceeding with disciplinary action against Akpoti-Uduaghan. Despite this, the committee went ahead with its hearing and suspended her for six months.
The senator is now asking the court to declare any action taken against her during the case’s pendency as “null, void, and of no effect.”