The National Assembly has reopened Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s office after months of closure following her suspension.
This move signals a possible end to the standoff and raises hopes of her return to plenary in October.
The National Assembly has unsealed the office of embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), granting her renewed access to the Senate wing and potentially clearing the path for her return to legislative duties.
On Tuesday, security operatives and the Sergeant at Arms of the National Assembly opened the office of the suspended member, located in Room 205, which had been sealed since her suspension in March 2025. Sources indicate that the move anticipates her presence when plenary sessions resume on October 7, 2025.
A Senate leadership meeting reportedly agreed that Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) would move a motion requiring Akpoti-Uduaghan to apologise before full reinstatement, with the motion expected to be seconded and adopted on the floor.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, then Chair of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, was handed a six-month suspension in March 2025 after clashing with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the reassignment of her seat.
The suspension, described as punishment for alleged breach of Senate Standing Orders, barred her from participating in the 10th Senate’s activities. She challenged the decision in court, but her bid to vacate the suspension was unsuccessful.
In July 2025, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled that suspending a senator for six months was “excessive and unconstitutional”, ordering her recall. Nyako stressed that prolonged suspension risked denying constituents representation.
Despite the judgment, the Senate leadership insisted Akpoti-Uduaghan must serve her full term, citing internal rules. This led to multiple standoffs when she attempted to return to the chamber.
In September, her lawyer, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), wrote to Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) Kamorudeen Ogunlana, demanding her reinstatement by September 15, 2025, threatening contempt proceedings if this was not met.
The CNA responded that he lacked the authority to reverse Senate resolutions, stressing that the decision rested solely with the Senate. His office, he said, functioned strictly in an administrative capacity.
The reopening of her office signals a thaw in tensions between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate leadership. With plenary resuming in October, her apology on the floor could formally end the months-long standoff, enabling her to resume complete duties.
For her Kogi Central constituents, the unsealing of her office offers hope of renewed representation after a prolonged absence from the chamber.
