The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday reserved judgment in the appeal and cross-appeal filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is challenging a lower court’s decision in her suit seeking to stop the Senate from investigating her over alleged misconduct.
A three-member panel of the appellate court reserved judgment after counsel for all parties adopted their briefs and argued for and against the appeals.
The Senate President had earlier approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the Federal High Court judgment that invalidated the suspension of the Kogi Central senator.
Akpabio’s legal team argued that the lower court lacked jurisdiction, insisting the matter concerned the internal affairs of the National Assembly and was therefore insulated from judicial review under Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution.
The Federal High Court had declared Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension unconstitutional, excessive, and a violation of her constituents’ right to representation.
In a notice of cross-appeal dated 11 July, Akpabio, through his lead counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, urged the appellate court to set aside the judgment, describing it as erroneous and a gross miscarriage of justice.
In the 11-ground appeal, he faulted the trial court for dismissing his preliminary objection and for issuing orders that, in his view, interfered with parliamentary procedures protected under the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
His cross-appeal came two days after Akpoti-Uduaghan filed her own appeal challenging the N5 million fine imposed on her by the Federal High Court as part of a contempt ruling issued by Justice Binta Nyako. The judge had held her guilty of civil contempt over a satirical Facebook post made while her substantive suit against the Senate was pending.
In her six-ground appeal, Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that the contempt ruling violated her fundamental rights and that the fine was legally unfounded.
The appeals, marked CA/ABJ/CJ/739/2025, CA/ABJ/CJ/1208/2025, and CA/ABJ/CJ/739/2025CA/A//2025, all arose from her rights enforcement suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, filed to stop the Senate from probing her.
At Friday’s hearing, Akpabio, through his lawyer, Eko Ejembi Eko, SAN, withdrew one of the cross-appeals, explaining that it had been overtaken by events since Akpoti-Uduaghan had already resumed her duties in the Senate. The withdrawn appeal was accordingly dismissed.
