The Court of Appeal has nullified the ₦5 million fine and the directive compelling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue an apology, delivering a judgment in her favour in connection with her contested six-month suspension, which she had consistently challenged as unlawful and unconstitutional.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, the appellate court found that the contempt proceedings against the senator were fatally defective, pointing to non-compliance with essential legal requirements.
The court specifically held that the failure to properly serve Forms 48 and 49, as stipulated by law, undermined the entire contempt process, rendering it invalid.
According to the judgment, the procedural lapses struck at the root of the case, effectively nullifying the contempt action from the outset and leading the court to resolve the relevant issue decisively in favour of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
As a result, the Court of Appeal overturned the ₦5 million fine imposed on the Kogi Central senator and also set aside the order mandating her to apologise, thereby bringing the contempt proceedings to an end in her favour.
The appeal is part of the wider legal dispute surrounding her six-month suspension from the Senate, a disciplinary measure that has sparked widespread debate and criticism.
Legal practitioners and civil society organisations have maintained that the duration and circumstances of the suspension constituted an overreach of legislative authority and violated the constitutional right of her constituents to effective representation.
Responding to the ruling, sources within the senator’s legal team described the decision as a clear victory for due process and the supremacy of the rule of law, stressing that disciplinary actions, including those taken by legislative bodies, must strictly adhere to constitutional and procedural standards.
One source noted, “This judgment reinforces the principle that no institution or individual is above the law. When due process is disregarded, such actions cannot be sustained.”
Supporters of the senator expressed optimism that the ruling bolsters her ongoing legal challenge against the suspension and could have broader implications for legislative accountability and discipline within Nigeria’s democratic system.
They also welcomed the judgment as both a legal and moral triumph, emphasizing that the judiciary continues to serve as a crucial check against procedural abuses within public institutions.