Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), returned to plenary on Tuesday after serving a six-month suspension from the Senate
The lawmaker reclaimed her seat at 11:42 a.m. to a warm reception from colleagues, exchanging greetings as she settled back into the chamber.
She was accompanied by several civil society activists, including Aisha Yesufu, the Bring Back Our Girls campaigner, who was seated in the Senate gallery. However, some of her supporters were denied entry.
Earlier, her office — Suite 2.05 in the Senate Wing — had been reopened by security officials led by Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, following the official end of her suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 for alleged misconduct after protesting the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The suspension, which lasted six months, barred her from all Senate activities.
Although the suspension formally expired in September, her return was delayed due to legal and procedural wrangling. In July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the Senate’s action was “excessive and unconstitutional,” ordering her reinstatement on the grounds that her constituents had been denied representation.
Despite the judgment, the Senate leadership insisted she must serve her full suspension, prompting her legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Michael Jonathan Numa, to demand her immediate reinstatement in a letter dated September 11, threatening contempt proceedings.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamorudeen Ogunlana, later responded that his office could not override Senate resolutions, stating that the matter was under the jurisdiction of the Senate and the courts.
On her return to the red chamber on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed renewed determination to represent her constituents, maintaining her earlier stance that she had “no apology” for standing by her principles.
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