Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oba Maduabuchi, has asserted that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot resume her legislative duties until she fully complies with the conditions of the recent court ruling—chief among them, offering an unreserved public apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Monday, July 7, 2025, the respected constitutional lawyer emphasized:
Maduabuchi clarified that while the Federal High Court declared her six-month suspension as excessive and thus unconstitutional, it did not absolve her of wrongdoing. Instead, the court ordered her immediate reinstatement conditional upon a formal apology to both the Senate and the Senate President. This, he explained, was a key component of the judgment—separate from the issue of suspension.
He stressed that the court was clear in distinguishing between Natasha’s right to resume work and her obligation to apologize for actions deemed disrespectful to the institution of the Senate. “There are two separate matters. Go back to work—but first apologize. That’s what the court said,” Maduabuchi reiterated.
He noted that the apology was to be made to the Senate as ordered by the court. Until that is done, any attempt to resume plenary duties could face procedural resistance, especially from the Senate leadership or the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Nonetheless, Maduabuchi was emphatic: the apology is not symbolic or optional—it is an enforceable part of the judgment. “The apology is not to the court; it is to the Senate, and specifically to the Senate President,” he said, reinforcing the importance of protocol and respect within democratic institutions.
In essence, Oba Maduabuchi’s comment underscores a legal and procedural sequence: first, comply fully with the court order, including the apology, then resume legislative functions. Anything short of that, he warned, risks reigniting confrontation and legal uncertainty in the Red Chamber…….SEĒ MÔRÈ
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