A constitutional lawyer, Ibrahim Wali, has faulted the continued suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that the action of the Senate is unconstitutional and void from the outset.
Wali, who spoke on Arise News on Thursday, argued that the Kogi Central lawmaker ought to have resumed her legislative duties immediately after the Federal High Court voided her suspension.
“Immediately an action overreaches the constitution, it becomes void from the outset. She should have resumed,” he declared.
The lawyer expressed concern that the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District had been left without representation due to what he described as an avoidable impasse.
“The constituents are robbed of representation. The constitution, being the supreme document in the land, has been sidelined in the interpretation of what position should prevail,” Wali said.
Wali also took a swipe at the Senate clerk, accusing him of overstepping his legal authority and worsening the crisis.
“By my understanding, it is the communication of the clerk that is creating this impasse. He has trespassed the subjudice threshold. She ought to just resume, and the matter will continue because it has to do with legality,” he said.
Explaining further, he added, “If you look at the standing order of the Senate that was amended in 2023, it is clear that his role is limited to taking records, communicating orders, minutes, votes, and proceedings. For the clerk to come out and claim that he was informed without any attachment of a vote or proceedings by either the Senate leadership or the Senate as a house is already legally defective.”
Wali stressed that the clerk’s letter was “incomplete” and lacked authority. “The clerk does not have the authority to take that position. It is also interesting to note that the clerk is a party in the case anyway,” he noted.
The lawyer dismissed claims that ongoing appeals could delay Natasha’s return to the Red Chamber, clarifying that the senator’s appeals had nothing to do with the validity of her suspension.
“Senator Natasha appealed, yes, but her appeals are basically on two grounds: the contempt proceedings where it was held that she made a social media post and the court said she should pay five million naira; and the fact that the court held the preliminary objection of the respondents succeeded in part. She’s not making any appeal with regards to the suspension itself or whether she should resume or not,” Wali explained.
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