The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has clarified that it has no authority to decide whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central can resume her legislative duties.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 15, in Abuja, the Director of Information, Mullah Bi-Allah, speaking for the Clerk’s office, emphasised that it serves solely as the administrative arm of the legislature and cannot overturn Senate resolutions.
“The Clerk does not possess the authority to review, reverse or interpret Senate decisions,” the statement read.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, a first-time senator representing the Peoples Democratic Party, was suspended by the Senate on March 6, 2025, for six months.
The suspension has been challenged in court, but the Federal High Court upheld it, and the matter remains pending at the Court of Appeal.
On September 4, the lawmaker notified the Clerk’s office of her intention to resume duties.
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However, the Clerk noted that such communication should be directed to the Senate President in accordance with parliamentary protocol.
The statement added, “This office conveyed the same to the Senate leadership, who noted that the matter remains before the Court of Appeal (sub judice), and that any change in status must either come from a fresh Senate resolution or a definitive court order.
“This communication was what the Clerk to the National Assembly conveyed in the letter, no more, no less. The Clerk is therefore not in a position to facilitate her resumption at this time.”
Bi-Allah also responded to a petition from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, M. J. Numa & Partners LLP, accusing the office of overreach.
“It must be emphasised that the determination of whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan can resume her legislative duties as of right without any further or fresh resolution of the Senate following the expiration of her six months suspension lies solely with the Senate and not with the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly,” he said.
Reaffirming its neutral stance, the statement concluded that the Clerk’s office remains guided by “the principles of constitutionalism, institutional respect and the rule of law” and urged the public to allow the Senate and the courts to settle the matter.