The Nigerian Senate has said it is yet to receive the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court ruling that nullified the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central.

The Senate’s response follows a ruling delivered on Friday, July 4, by Justice Binta Nyako, who described the six-month suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as excessive and ordered her reinstatement.

However, in a statement released on Sunday by Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate’s spokesperson and Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, the upper chamber said it acknowledged the ruling but could not act until it had been officially served with the court’s CTC.

“Since no party to the case has been officially served the enrolled order of the judgment, none can enforce any perceived order or relief,” Adaramodu stated.

He further clarified that although the Senate’s legal representatives were present at the court sitting, the full judgment was not delivered in open court.

“The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria acknowledges that judgment was delivered on 4th July 2025 by the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the suit instituted by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.”

“However, the Senate is yet to be served with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the said judgment.”

“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, particularly in view of the uncertainty surrounding whether the court made any direct order nullifying the suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan,” he said.

Adaramodu emphasized that the Senate would avoid taking any actions that could legally compromise its position until the CTC had been received and reviewed.

“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 and will act strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria upon full clarification of the court’s pronouncements.”

“We urge the public to remain patient and assured of the Senate’s fidelity to due process.”

As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has expressed confidence that the emerging opposition coalition is well-prepared to withstand internal and external challenges that may threaten its unity and purpose.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, Malami acknowledged that political sabotage and internal betrayal are genuine risks in any coalition.

However, he emphasized that the group is not only aware of these threats but is also equipped to manage them as they arise.

“In a political arrangement, you cannot rule out any possibility, including the possibility of infiltration,” Malami said.

“But, one fundamental thing is, we are resolved to continue, we shall continue, and we shall overcome. We are working to overcome any challenge as it arises.”

The coalition, which recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) and potentially unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, has been drawing increasing attention from political observers.

Malami, who served in the cabinet of former President Muhammadu Buhari, pointed out that political alliances naturally face hurdles such as personal ambition, infiltration, and strategic sabotage.

Yet, he reiterated that the coalition’s leadership is focused and committed to its cause.

“You cannot rule out the possibility of a crisis, you cannot rule out the possibility of infiltration, nor can you rule out all other negative possibilities”.

“We are resolved to overcome them. We work in the direction of overcoming them. That is the most fundamental and critical issue about it.”

When asked about the potential disruption that personal ambitions could cause within the coalition, Malami acknowledged their inevitability in political contexts. He stressed the importance of internal discipline and deliberate conflict management.

“Political engagement includes personal ambitions. But the most important thing is how hard you work in managing them.”

“We cannot rule out that possibility because political engagement is about ambitions. And ambitions are meant to be managed, and we are resolved to manage them as they arise.”

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Presidency of entering a “panic mood” following the rising influence of the newly formed opposition coalition.

The party claims the government’s recent policy announcements are politically motivated and not driven by concern for Nigerians.

In a statement released Sunday in Abuja, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, said the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration was reacting to the coalition’s momentum, not to the country’s pressing challenges.

According to Abdullahi, the sudden reformist stance of the government especially regarding food security, is a result of mounting political pressure, not genuine compassion.

Responding to a tweet by Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, who recently announced the government’s plan to remove bottlenecks hindering food availability and exports, the ADC spokesperson said:

“On Saturday, when Bayo Onanuga tweeted before the world that, moving forward, all bottlenecks hindering ‘the realization of the Tinubu administration’s potential’ would be removed to enable food sovereignty and export, he didn’t just issue a statement, he issued a confession.”

Abdullahi went on to say:

“A confession that this government had, by design, been sitting on its hands while Nigerians starved. Now, under mounting political pressure, they want applause for doing the bare minimum? This is not reform. This is not leadership. This is a scramble for survival by an administration that has been cornered by its own failures.”

The ADC claimed that, without the pressure created by the unveiling of the opposition coalition, the government would have continued its “calculated indifference” to the suffering of the Nigerian people.

“Let us make one thing clear, it took the emergence of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the growing momentum of a united opposition to push this government into action.”

“It wasn’t the hunger of hundreds of millions of Nigerians that moved them, it was fear. Fear of the 2027 elections. Fear that Nigerians have woken up. Fear that, with a united opposition, 2027 will be a clear-cut election between the APC and the Nigerian people.”

Abdullahi also accused the government of deliberately weaponizing poverty, saying:

“After Bayo Onanuga’s statement that they would no longer delay in removing bottlenecks that had hindered food security, the only conclusion possible from that statement is that the government had deliberately sat on its hands and watched Nigerians starve in the last two years.”

He questioned the timing and motive behind the government’s proposed reforms:

“We must all begin to ask this government the obvious questions: If the bottlenecks that Onanuga alluded to in his press statement could have been removed earlier, why did they keep them in place while millions went hungry and businesses collapsed? Was it so they could stage a last-minute, propaganda-driven performance closer to the 2027 elections?”

Calling the move part of a calculated strategy, he said:

“This is a pattern. This is a strategy. This is not a government reacting to an urgent national crisis, it is a political machine managing optics. Every move they have made has been about political calculation ahead of 2027. Nigerians, shine your eyes.”

He further alleged that President Tinubu has already begun his re-election campaign, two years early, due to increasing public dissatisfaction.

“President Tinubu is already campaigning, two years early, because he knows he’s in trouble. He knows Nigerians have had enough. And the worst part?”

“He is risking the country’s future, all in the name of his re-election bid. Onanuga’s declaration is not about food security or economic diplomacy, this is about politics and 2027.”

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed confidence that the northern region of Nigeria would rejoice at his leadership if elected president in 2027.

Speaking during an interview on the Sunday Politics programme, Obi, a key figure in the opposition coalition formed under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), highlighted the untapped potential of northern Nigeria and pledged to tackle the insecurity that has held the region back.

He noted that despite the North’s considerable voter base and vast arable land, the region remains underdeveloped due to poor governance and persistent insecurity.

“The biggest asset of this country is in the north, the uncultivated lands in the north. The criminality we face in the north today, I will deal with it,” Obi assured.

Calling for a shift from identity politics to merit-based leadership, Obi said Nigerians must move beyond voting based on ethnic or religious affiliations.

“We have voted for incompetence, we’ve voted for tribe, (and) we’ve voted for religion; let’s vote for competence,” he stated.

Addressing northern voters directly, Obi appealed for their trust, assuring them of his commitment to addressing their challenges if elected.

“I want them to trust me… If I am president, the North will celebrate me. I have an idea of the problem,” he declared.

Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate and a key figure in the opposition, has officially declared his intention to contest for the presidency in the 2027 general election.

Appearing on the Sunday Politics programme, Obi put to rest widespread speculations linking him to a possible vice-presidential role under former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” Obi stated unequivocally.

Reacting to the suggestion that he might team up with Atiku again in a running mate capacity, Obi dismissed the claims as unfounded speculation.

“This is not in play; nobody has ever discussed that. People assume so many things. Nobody has ever discussed with me whether I am going to be A or B or C,” he clarified.

The former governor of Anambra State reaffirmed his commitment to the Labour Party, under which he ran in the 2023 election, while also acknowledging his involvement in the broader opposition alliance.

“I am part of the coalition which will be able to produce a president with the capacity and compassion to save this country,” he added, referring to his role within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.

The coalition aims to mount a strong challenge to President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is widely expected to seek re-election in 2027.