Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio were at odds on Wednesday over the Senate’s request to overturn a Federal High Court order issued in Abuja on March 4.
The Senate, through its lawyer Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), filed a motion on March 17, seeking to nullify Order Number Four from the court’s ex-parte ruling.
This order had been granted in Natasha’s suit against the National Assembly clerk, the Senate, and key officials, including Akpabio and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had approached the court to prevent the Senate committee from proceeding with an investigation into alleged misconduct during the February 20 plenary, which was referred for review on February 25.
She sought an interim injunction to halt any actions pending the hearing of her main suit.
One of the key orders granted by Justice Obiora Egwuatu declared that any actions taken while the case was ongoing would be considered null and void..
However, Ojukwu, representing the Senate, argued that this order violated fair hearing principles under Section 36(1) of the Constitution and should be set aside.
“The court has issued an interlocutory order, which it should not have done before the case concludes,” Ojukwu contended, asserting that the court had been misled.
Supporting Ojukwu’s position, lawyers for the clerk, Akpabio, and Imasuem agreed that the ruling was flawed and requested the court to nullify it.
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Michael Numa (SAN), dismissed their claims, calling them a coordinated attempt to undermine the court.
He urged the judge to uphold the order and sanction the defendants for disregarding a valid court ruling.
“Their arguments are baseless. The court’s order must be respected, and any attempts to disobey it should be met with consequences,” Numa insisted, citing supporting legal precedents.
Justice Egwuatu, after hearing both sides, stepped down the case for ruling.
