Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will return to the National Assembly later this month after serving a six-month suspension, her lawyer revealed.
Speaking with The PUNCH in Abuja, her lawyer, Victor Giwa, revealed that the senator was on vacation in London but had already planned to return to plenary with her colleagues when the Senate reconvened on September 23.
“Actually, she’s prepared to resume her term. She’s in London. Everything is in place, and the six months have expired. “The only thing left is her resume,” Giwa said.
Giwa added that the Senate leadership was not expected to obstruct her return. “We have been told that even the leadership of the Senate is ready to welcome her. So that’s the situation at the moment. There is no obstacle at all,” he assured.
Natasha was suspended on March 6 due to claims of insubordination after she refused to alter her allotted seat during plenary.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions recommended her suspension, which also resulted in the loss of her aides, office privileges, and salary.
The legislator had continuously contended that her trauma was tied to her petition alleging Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, a charge the Senate disregarded.
Natasha eventually contested her suspension in court, obtaining a ruling that she claimed favored her recall.
However, Senate leadership maintained that she would be suspended until the six-month penalty expired.
Her attempt to re-enter the National Assembly in July resulted in a stalemate, with security personnel blocking her admission although a mob of supporters gathered outside.
When the prohibition expired last Saturday, her lawyer insisted that existing legal challenges would not prevent her return.
“Everything will be resolved. Even the court cases will become like an academic exercise,” Giwa noted.
