Tensions at the National Assembly appear to be easing as the Senate leadership has quietly moved to restore access to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, months after she was suspended.
Her office, which had been under lock and key since March, was reopened on Tuesday by security personnel and the Sergeant-at-Arms, signalling a possible end to her political isolation.
The development marks a significant shift in what has been a turbulent standoff between the Kogi Central senator and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
For months, the dispute not only sidelined Akpoti-Uduaghan but also fueled debates over representation, legality, and fairness within the upper chamber.
Parliamentary insiders disclosed that the decision to allow her back into the complex was reached during a closed-door session on Monday.
A senior legislative aide said, “The leadership is keen on resolving this matter internally. The idea is to pave the way for her formal reinstatement once plenary resumes.”
Lawmakers are expected to revisit the matter on 7 October 2025, when a motion will likely be tabled for her return to full legislative duties.
Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro is reportedly being considered to move the motion after Akpoti-Uduaghan offers a public apology on the floor of the chamber.
The senator’s troubles began in February when she challenged the reallocation of her seat, a protest that escalated into a heated confrontation.
By March, she was suspended for six months, stripped of her role as Chair of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, and excluded from all activities of the 10th Senate for allegedly breaching its Standing Orders.
Although her suspension technically expired in September, she remained locked out of her office as Senate leaders resisted her return.
The matter spilt into the courts, where her legal team sought to overturn the sanctions. Initial attempts failed, but in July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court declared the prolonged suspension “excessive and unconstitutional,” stressing that her constituents had been unfairly denied representation.
Despite the ruling, Senate authorities insisted she must serve the full duration of the punishment.
Pressure mounted again this month after her counsel, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), wrote to Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamorudeen Ogunlana, demanding her reinstatement by 15 September or face contempt charges.
Ogunlana, however, pushed back, insisting he had no constitutional powers to reverse Senate resolutions.
His stance was later backed by National Assembly spokesperson Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, who emphasised that the CNA’s role is strictly administrative.
With Tuesday’s reopening of her office, many now believe the Senate is preparing to end the standoff.