The Federal High Court in Abuja will today, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, hear multiple contempt applications arising from the ongoing legal battle between suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Justice Binta Nyako is expected to determine whether either party has violated court orders, a decision which could influence the trajectory of the main case challenging the senator’s suspension.
At the center of the dispute is a court order issued on March 4, 2025, which restrained the Senate from initiating disciplinary actions against Akpoti-Uduaghan. Despite this, the Senate went ahead two days later to suspend her, citing alleged misconduct based on a report by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions. The senator subsequently filed a motion challenging her suspension and seeking contempt sanctions against Senate officials, including Akpabio and Committee Chairman Nedamwen Imasuen.
During proceedings on Monday, Justice Nyako confirmed that all parties had filed the necessary documents for today’s hearing. However, the hearing was delayed after Akpabio’s legal team, led by Senior Advocates Ekoh Ejembi and Paul Daudu, accused the plaintiff of flouting a court directive that barred all parties from making media statements or social media posts about the case.
Specifically, Akpoti-Uduaghan was alleged to have posted a satirical letter of apology to Akpabio on her Facebook page on March 27, and to have published it in national newspapers. Counsel for Akpabio and the Senate argued that the post mocked the authority of the court and constituted contempt. They submitted copies of the post and cited a report by The Punch as evidence.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Jibrin Okutekpa and Michael Numan, countered that the Facebook post had no bearing on the court case and should not distract from the primary issue of her unlawful suspension. They also reminded the court of a previously filed motion accusing the Senate, Akpabio, and other defendants of contempt, insisting that those claims must also be addressed.
The court, recognizing the gravity of the mutual allegations, emphasized that issues of contempt must be resolved before delving into the substantive suit. Justice Nyako warned that continued defiance of court orders would not be tolerated and hinted that the court could summon the parties personally if further violations occur.
She firmly stated, “If they are found in contempt, they will face punishment. If not, the court will proceed.” She also directed that any party with pending contempt applications should present them fully for consideration.
In a related development, Akpabio’s team distanced itself from public claims that two notable lawyers—Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Monday Ubani (SAN)—were part of the Senate President’s legal defence. They clarified to the court that neither was involved in the case, refuting allegations linking them to disobedience of earlier court rulings.
Today’s session is expected to feature a comprehensive review of all contempt allegations and possibly determine the next phase of the main suit regarding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate. The court is scheduled to sit by noon.
