Former presidential aspirant under the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mathias Tsado, has criticised the Nigerian Senate over its refusal to reinstate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan despite a court ruling in her favour.
He described her as the Senate’s “star girl,” arguing that she deserves praise, not punishment.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Tsado condemned the upper chamber’s stance following a Federal High Court verdict that voided Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension from legislative activities.
“I was reading a poll conducted by the API (Africa Polling Institute), and they said 82 per cent of Nigerians do not have confidence in the Nigerian Senate. Now, their star girl, the person who is supposed to be their number nine striker, is the one they are attacking.”
“In the midst of all this, Senator Natasha is still touching the lives of the people. She has become a source of inspiration to many young people. The Senate should have been worshipping her, saying, ‘You are our star girl,’” he said.
Though the court has ruled in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s favour, the Senate insists it has not received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, a condition it claims is necessary before any formal action can be taken.
Tsado challenged that reasoning, saying the Senate has no legal justification to delay compliance with the court’s order.
“It’s rather unfortunate that we have reduced ourselves as a country to these kinds of deliberations. From the very beginning, we saw how the Senate mishandled Natasha’s situation. For someone, a woman, to fight her way, against all odds, into the Senate is inspiring.”
“And yet, the Senate says it cannot admit her without the CTC of the judgment. They don’t have the right to admit her in the first place. It’s unfortunate that when judgments are delivered in Nigeria, which are supposed to be clear and unambiguous, the enforcement is selective.”
“If the judge had declared that Senator Natasha should be imprisoned, would they be waiting for the CTC? When she was found guilty of contempt and asked to pay ₦5 million, did they wait for the CTC before they started talking about it?”
He also faulted the Senate’s interpretation of its disciplinary powers, urging them to respect constitutional limits.
“They suspended someone beyond the 14 days allowed in their rule book. That is illegal. If Natasha is being punished by the court for contempt, who punishes the Senate for overreaching their constitutional limits?
I heard her yesterday when she said she would wait for the documents before resuming.”
“But I am calling on the Nigerian Senate: man up, forget about this theatre. These are not the things Nigerians want to see.”
On March 6, 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended after a heated dispute in the Senate over seat allocations.
The Kogi Central lawmaker had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of abuse of office and sexual harassment, allegations Akpabio has strongly denied.
Her initial petition was dismissed on technical grounds, but upon resubmission, the Senate moved to suspend her for six months and exclude her from plenary activities.
The suspension drew widespread criticism and protests across parts of the country.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged the Senate’s action in court and took the matter to the international stage, labelling the suspension illegal.
On July 4, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja declared the suspension “excessive and unconstitutional,” stating that it denied her constituents their right to representation.”
“The judge criticised the Senate’s disciplinary procedures and faulted the Legislative Houses’ Powers and Privileges Act for being overreaching.
The court, while acknowledging the Senate’s power to discipline its members, ruled that such actions must not infringe on constitutional rights.
The judge also fined Akpoti-Uduaghan ₦5 million for violating a gag order and ordered her to publicly apologise in two national newspapers within seven days.
Despite the ruling, the Senate has remained non-committal, saying it would not act until the full court documents are received.
“Since no party to the case has been officially served the enrolled order of the judgment, none can enforce any perceived order or relief,” Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu explained in a statement.
“Our legal representatives, who were in attendance at the proceedings, have confirmed that the complete judgment was not read in open court. Consequently, we have formally applied for the CTC to enable a thorough review and informed determination of the appropriate legal response.”
He added: “Pending receipt and examination of the CTC, and acting on the advice of counsel, the Senate shall refrain from taking any steps that may prejudice its legal position. The Senate remains committed to upholding the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is still facing separate charges of cybercrime and defamation, currently pending before courts in Abuja.
