Court orders Akpabio, others to file defence in Natasha’s suit

Credit: NAN

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and others to file their defence in a suit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order after it was confirmed from the court records that all processes in the suit had been duly served on the defendants.

The embattled senator had, in a motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, sued Clerk of the National Assembly (NASS) and the Senate as 1st and 2nd defendants.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also named the President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Sen. Neda Imasuem, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct as 3rd and 4th defendants, respectively.

The lawmaker, among others, sought an order of interim injunction restraining the Senate’s committee headed by Imasuem from proceeding with the purported investigation against her for alleged misconduct sequel to the events that occurred at the plenary on Feb. 20, pursuant to the referral by the Senate on Feb. 25, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

Justice Egwuatu had, on March 4, granted all the prayers in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s motion, including an order declaring any action taken during the pendency of the suit as null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

The judge also granted leave to the lawmaker to serve the 2nd to 4th defendants the originating summons and all other accompanying processes in the suit by substituted means to wit: by serving same through the 1st defendant (Clerk of NASS) or pasting same on the premises of the National Assembly and publishing same in two national dailies.

Justuce Egwuatu subsequently made an order “directing the 1st -4th defendants to come and show cause within 72 hours upon the service of the order on them why an order of interlocutory injunction should not be granted against them restraining them from proceeding with the purported investigation against the plaintiff for alleged misconduct without affording her privileges as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Senate Standing Order 2023 and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.”
Upon resumed hearing on Monday, counsel to the 1st (clerk), 2nd (Senate) and 3rd (Akpabio) defendants told the court that they had not been served with the processes in the suit.
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Numa, SAN, disagreed with their submission.
Numa informed the court that all parties had been served, adding that affidavits of service were already before the court.
After going through the affidavits of service in the court records, Justice Egwatu confirmed service of all processes on all defendants.
At this point, counsel to the senate president, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, prayed the court for an adjournment for all processes to be regularised.

Others lawyers aligned with Ogunwumiju’s submission, pointing out that this would facilitate accelerated hearing at the next adjourned date.

Justice Egwatu, in a ruling, ordered that all relevant processes should be filed and served on parties in the matter before the next adjourned date.

The judge then adjourned the matter until March 25 for hearing.

The Senate, at a plenary presided over by the senate president on Thursday, suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months after it considered the report of the committee chaired by Imasuem.