There was heightened tension at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Tuesday as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was denied access to the premises despite arriving to resume legislative duties.
A heavy security presence was observed at the main entrance, with policemen stationed at key entry points and several patrol vans seen around the area. The main gate leading into the complex was firmly locked, effectively barring the senator from entering.
Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived the National Assembly, where her convoy was blocked at the first gate, She then proceeded to the second gate of the building on foot with a small group of supporters who gathered outside the gate in her support while chanting in solidarity.
The senator, who represents Kogi Central, had earlier announced her intention to return to the Senate, citing a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which she says invalidates her six-month suspension. The ruling, delivered on July 4, is at the centre of a growing disagreement between her and the Senate leadership.
While Akpoti-Uduaghan maintains that the court ordered her immediate recall, the Senate insists otherwise. In a statement ahead of her planned return, the legislative body warned her to stay away, arguing that the judgment was merely advisory and did not override the Senate’s internal disciplinary procedures.
According to the Senate, no binding order has been issued to lift her suspension, and the final decision on her reinstatement lies with the upper chamber itself.
The standoff underscores an ongoing power tussle between the judiciary and the legislature over internal parliamentary sanctions, and has raised questions about the limits of judicial intervention in legislative affairs.
Melissa Enoch
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