The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a law suit against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, for his failure to reverse the suspension of a female Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate.
SERAP said that the suspension was based solely on the peaceful exercise of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s right to freedom of expression.
The Senate, had recently, suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for allegedly breaching the rules of the Senate.
According to the statement issued by SERAP on Sunday in Lagos, the suit was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.
The suit, titled, “SERAP sues Akpabio over failure to reverse the unlawful suspension of Natasha Akpoti”, seeks to overturn the six-month suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan which SERAP said violated her fundamental rights.
In the suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/498/2025, SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus to direct and compel Akpabio to rescind the unlawful suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, reinstate her, and fully restore all her legislative rights, entitlements, and privileges.
The organization is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from further suspending or taking any disciplinary action against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for the peaceful exercise of her fundamental human rights.
SERAP is also seeking a declaration that the application of Sections 6(1)(2) of the Senate Rules and the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) to suspend Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan violated her human rights and deprives her constituents of their right to political participation.
SEPAP is arguing that granting the application would serve the public interest and promote respect for the rights of everyone in the National Assembly.
It also argued that no one should ever be punished for speaking without permission, adding that being a senator does not deprive Akpoti-Uduaghan of her fundamental human rights.
SRAP said that the Senate should be setting an example by upholding the rule of law and promoting and protecting human rights, not stamping them out.
It said Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was based solely on the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression in the Senate.
SERAP said that all the other grounds cited by the Senate for her suspension seem to be a pretext to further restrict her fundamental human rights.
No date has been fixed for the hearing.
Meanwhile, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused the Senate President of sexual harassment on the floor of the Senate and had also filed a suit in a Federal High Court challenging her suspension from the Senate for six months.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had also taken her case to Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Responding, the Nigerian Senate defended its decision to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan before the Inter-Parliamentary Union, stating that her suspension was not related to allegations of sexual harassment but due to gross misconduct.
Speaking before the IPU on Wednesday, the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara, dismissed claims made by Akpoti-Uduaghan at a United Nations event that she was suspended for raising allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Ogbara stated that she has been mandated by the National Assembly to present a response to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s speech delivered at the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the status of women.
“In response to the call by the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Right Honorable Tulia Ackson to hear both sides of the matter, I have received a letter from the Nigerian Senate in my capacity as Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development of our parliament in Nigeria and the parliamentarian representing Nigeria at this conference,” she said.
GIK/APA