Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed June 27 for its judgment in the suit filed by the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central ), challenging her suspension from the Senate for six months.
Justice Nyako fixed the date on Tuesday after parties in the suit made their final submissions and adopted their written addresses.
The judge said she will first decide the contempt claims by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Natasha, then give her opinions on the various preliminary objections raised by the respondents and if necessary, determine the substantive suit.
She said: “I want to believe that all processes are in. What I am going to do is to first of all look at the issues of contempt and take a decision on it.
“Then, I will look at the notices of preliminary objection. If they succeeds, that is the end of the case and if they don’t, I will look at the originating summons filed by the plaintiff.”
In the fundamental rights enforcement suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, Natasha is claiming among others, that her right to fair hearing was not accorded her before she was suspended by the Senate.
She also named the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the President of the Senate, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Neda Imasuem (the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct) as co-defendants to the suit.
Justice Nyako also noted that there was a new development in the case, which was the issue of contempt raised by Akpabio and Natasha.
She said: “We have a new happening that came up yesterday. One from Mr Daudu (representing Akpabio) and one from the plaintiff.
“These two applications and the originating summons should be what should be focused on today,” she said.
She then directed parties to identify and adopt the documents they filed in relation to the contempt issue.
Natasha’s lawyer, Michael Numa (SAN), who thanked the judge for prioritising the issues of contempt raised by the plaintiff and the defendants identified what he filed
Numa said his client’s application is seeking the court’s disciplinary action against all the defendants for their alleged contemptuous act.
Numa also identified and adopted all their processes and urged the the court to grant the prayers sought by the suspended Senator.
The Senior Advocate urged the court to overrule and dismiss the defendants’ preliminary objection and grant the reliefs sought in the originating motion.
Charles Yoila, who appeared for the clerk, Paul Daudu (SAN), who represented the Senate; Ogunwumiju, who appeared for Akpabio, and Valentine who represented Imasuem, also identified and adopted their processes, including the preliminary objection.
They urged the court to look at the set of facts, showing clearly the alleged disobedience to court order by Natasha
The defendants urged the court to hold that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit and to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
