In a surprising legal development, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has withdrawn from presiding over the case involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. His decision was announced on Tuesday, marking a significant turn in the ongoing legal battle.
Justice Egwuatu’s recusal follows a petition from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who raised concerns about the judge’s impartiality. Although the case was scheduled for a hearing, the judge, upon its mention in court, declared that he would no longer handle the matter. He stated that the case file would be returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment to a different judge.
Earlier, on March 4, the same judge had issued an interim order barring the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with disciplinary measures against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was accused of breaching Senate regulations. His directive halted any punitive action pending the court’s final ruling on the case.
Additionally, Justice Egwuatu mandated the defendants to provide reasons within 72 hours as to why the court should not permanently prevent them from taking disciplinary action against the senator without following due process, as outlined in the 1999 Constitution, the Senate Standing Order 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
More Read
To ensure the defendants were properly notified, the court authorized the senator to serve legal documents through alternative means. The judge ruled that the documents should either be delivered to the Clerk of the National Assembly, posted within the National Assembly premises, or published in two national newspapers.
Despite the court’s directive, the Senate Committee proceeded with its deliberations and ultimately imposed a six-month suspension on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, raising questions about the balance of power between the judiciary and legislative authority.
