Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday, May 13, appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja for the hearing of the suit she filed challenging her suspension by the Senate on March 6.
The Senate had suspended her for six months on the grounds of alleged misconduct, days after she accused the Senate President of Sexual harassment, an allegation he denied.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had, in her motion, joined the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, as defendants.
When the suit which was reassigned to Justice Binta Nyako, following the withdrawal of Justice Obiorah Egwuatu, from the matter, was called on Monday, May 12, counsel to the suspended Senator, Jibrin Okutekpa (SAN), told the court that the plaintiff has filed all the documents to be relied on in the matter, in line with the directive of the court at the last hearing.
Counsel to the Senate, Paul Daudu (SAN), and that of Senate President, Ekwo Ejembi, told the court that they have also filed their various documents to be relied on in the matter but drew the attention of the Court to a motion for disobedience to the order of the court against the plaintiff.
The two senior lawyers representing the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the suit said, the plaintiff has responded to their motion.
They both alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan disobeyed the order of the Court when she, on March 27, posted a satirical letter of apology to the Senate president on her Facebook page and published it in some national dailies.
Plaintiff’s counsel, Michael Numan (SAN), confirmed the receipt of the motion and reminded the court of a motion for disobedience of the court order against all the defendants filed earlier.
He said the alleged statement credited to the plaintiff has no connection with her, adding also that the alleged contemptuous statement has no nexus with the plaintiff.
Eko Ejembi Eko, representing Akpabio, said he filed a motion on notice on May 5, alleging that the Facebook post made by the plaintiff was a direct mockery of the order of the court.
Meanwhile, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in her counter-affidavit, accused the Senate President of attempting to curb her right to free speech, maintaining that her recent satirical letter to the Senate President was never in breach of a court order barring parties before the court from speaking with the media.
The suspended senator pointed out that while the content of her viral letter centred around her s#xual harassment allegations against the Senate President, the matter before the court was her alleged unlawful suspension from the Senate.
Watch a video of Natasha in court today below…
