The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out two
interlocutory motions the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, brought before it
in the case challenging the six-month suspension that was handed to the
lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a
three-member panel led by Justice Hamman Barka, struck out the motions after
they were withdrawn, even as it awarded N100,000 cost against the Appellant.
In the ruling delivered on May 21, with the enrolled order
sighted by Vanguard on Wednesday, the motions the court struck out were dated
March 3 and March 25, 2025, and marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025,
respectively.
Whereas Akpabio was listed as the Appellant, cited as
Respondents in the appeal were Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan; the Clerk of the
National Assembly; the Senate; as well as the Chairman of the Senate Committee
on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuem.
Specifically, Akpabio had through his team of lawyers,
prayed the appellate court for an order, “enlarging the time within which the
Appellant/Applicant may seek leave to appeal against the decision of the
Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025
between Senator Natasha AkpotiUduaghan v. Clerk of the National Assembly of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and 3 Others (Coram: Honourable Justice Obiora
Atuegwu Egwuatu) delivered on March 10, 2025 on grounds of mixed law and fact
as contained in the proposed Notice of Appeal.”
He further prayed for: “An order of this Honourable Court
granting leave to the Appellant/Applicant to appeal against the decision of the
Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025
between Senator Natasha AkpotiUduaghan v. Clerk of the National Assembly of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and 3 Others. (Coram: Honourable Justice | Obiora
Egwuatu) delivered on March 10, 2025, on Grounds of mixed law and fact as
contained in the proposed Notice of Appeal attached as Exhibit B.
“An order of this Honourable Court enlarging the time within
which the Appellant/Applicant may file their Notice of appeal against the
decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division in Suit No:
FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025 between Senator Natasha AkpotiUduaghan v. Clerk of the
National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and 3 Others. (Coram:
Honourable Justice Obiora Egwuatu) delivered on March 10, 2025.”
As well as: “An order of this Honourable Court staying
further proceeding in Suit No: FCH/ABJ/CS/384/2025 between Senator Natasha
Akpoti-Uduaghan v. Clerk of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and 3 Others. (Coram: Honourable Justice Obiora Egwuatu), pending the
hearing and determination of the Appellant/Applicant’s appeal before this
Honourable Court.”
Following the withdrawal of the motions which were said to
have been overtaken by events, the appellate court struck them out and awarded
cost in favour of the Respondents.
It will be recalled that Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal
High Court had earlier fixed June 27 to determine the legal validity of the
suspension that was slammed against the embattled Kogi state female federal
lawmaker.
Justice Nyako inherited the case file after a previous judge
who handled the matter, Justice Egwuatu, recused himself following claims of
bias by the Senate President, Akpabio.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan approached the high court after she
was summoned to appear before the disciplinary committee following a faceoff
she had with the Senate President during plenary on February 20.
While protesting the alleged arbitrary change of her seating
position, the lawmaker repeatedly raised a point of order to be allowed to
speak, even though she had been overruled by the Senate President.
Irked by her conduct, the Senate President referred her case
to the Ethics Committee which eventually recommended her suspension.
In a television interview she granted on February 28,
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that her troubles in the Senate began after she
rejected unwanted sexual advances from Akpabio.
In the suit she filed before the court, she applied for an
order to declare any action the Committee took within the pendency of her suit
as “null, void, and of no effect.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com