The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP) has sued Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over what it described as the “patently unlawful” suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeks to overturn the six-month suspension, which SERAP argued violates the senator’s fundamental rights and deprives her constituents of representation.
SERAP had last week called on Akpabio to immediately reverse Natasha’s suspension or face a legal suit.
The latest development was contained in a statement by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, yesterday.
It was titled, “SERAP sues Akpabio over failure to reverse the unlawful suspension of Natasha Akpoti.”
SERAP, in the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/498/2025, is asking the court for “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to rescind the unlawful suspension of Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, reinstate her, and fully restore all her legislative rights, entitlements, and privileges.”
The Senate had suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for allegedly “speaking without permission” and refusing to accept her new seat in the chamber.
The suspension not only bars her from participating in Senate activities but also withholds her salary and allowances.
SERAP, however, insists that this action is unconstitutional, stating that “no one should ever be punished for ‘speaking without permission.’
“Being a senator does not deprive Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of her fundamental human rights.
“The Senate should be setting an example by upholding the rule of law and promoting and protecting human rights, not stamping them out,” it said.
The rights group is also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from further suspending or taking any disciplinary action against Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for the peaceful exercise of her fundamental human rights.”
In its legal arguments, SERAP contended that the suspension is a violation of the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“Punishing Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for peacefully expressing herself is unlawful, unnecessary and disproportionate.
“Her suspension would also have a disproportionate chilling effect on the ability of other members of the Senate to express themselves and exercise their human rights freely,” the suit stated.
SERAP further argued that the application of Sections 6(1)(2) of the Senate Rules and the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) in suspending Akpoti-Uduaghan is in direct conflict with constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression.
“The unlawful restriction of Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s right to freedom of expression has indirectly violated Nigerians’ right to receive information and ideas and seriously undermined the right of her constituency to political participation,” SERAP asserted.
Quoting Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, SERAP highlights that “every citizen shall have the right to participate freely in the government of his country, either directly or through freely chosen representatives in accordance with the provisions of the law.”
The organisation argued that “the suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate has restricted and seriously undermined the ability of the residents of her Kogi Central Senatorial District to effectively participate in their own government.”
SERAP also cited the Nigerian Constitution’s Section 39, which guarantees freedom of expression, stating that “every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”
It insisted that the Senate’s actions directly contravene these constitutional protections.
“The Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) should not and cannot set aside Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s right to express herself and disseminate her opinions, which is clearly guaranteed in Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and under the human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party,” SERAP argued.
It said the case also raised concerns about the broader implications of silencing lawmakers through disciplinary actions.
“A higher degree of tolerance is expected when it is a political speech and an even higher threshold is required when it is directed towards government officials including members of the Senate,” SERAP maintained.
The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs. Adelanke Aremo.
“No date has been fixed for the hearing,” the release concluded.

Some experts in the power sector have urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency review privatisation of the power sector.
The experts, who spoke to the newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, said that privatisation of the power sector was a good idea, but however, added that it was not working.
They said that a comprehensive auditing and review of the sector would form part of efforts to addressing the challenges in the industry.
It will be recalled that privatisation of the sector in November 2013, was an initiative of the Federal Government to transfer ownership and management of power assets to private entities.
The move was to improve efficiency, attract more investments, and enhance overall electricity supply.
Eleven Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and six Generation Companies (GenCos) were formed after the sector was privatised.
However, the transmission arm of the sector was retained by the Federal Government.
Mr Princewill Okorie, the National President, Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA), said that government should carry out a national audit of the privatisation.
According to him, there should be a national committee to audit the
privatisation and to also review it.
Okorie said that the auditing should be carried out on investments made in infrastructure and the revenue collected from electricity consumers since privatisation began in 2013.
‘’The auditing should also entail investments by consumers, local government councils, state government, Federal Government and the international community.
“Government should carry out a thorough auditing of the privatisation process including investments in infrastructure and how much has been extorted from electricity consumers from inception to date.
Look at how much consumers have paid as tariff from inception till date and how much the investors have invested in the power sector,” he said.
Okorie said that based on the auditing of the sector, discussion on reversing the privatisation policy would be considered.
According to him, when the privatisation of the sector took off, the conditions or criteria that are to be met by investors have not been met.
“ It was not even done on a sincere note and the data used was not correct.`
‘` How can you privatise without adequate investment and it was done in a way to make the citizens become cash cow.
“ Now, the citizens are the ones that are being exploited. What they call privatisation in my opinion is extortion from citizens,” he said.
Okorie said that the audit of the privatisation process would precede the reversal.
Mr Uket Obonga, the National Secretary, Nigeria Electricity Consumers Advocacy Network (NECAN), also called for a review of the privatisation.
Obonga said that when the issue of privatisation came on board, Nigerians were happy that investors were coming to invest in the sector.
He said that privatisation was supposed to bring massive improvement and more infrastructure into the power sector but nothing seems to have improved.
“ So where do we go from here? What are we really doing?. The privatisation that was well conceived has not really worked.
“So let there be a deliberate review of the entire privatisation, ‘’ he said.
Obonga also urged the government to set up a technical forensic audit team to audit the power sector infrastructure.
According to him, Generation Companies (GenCos) have invested so much and their capacity has scaled up to about 14,000 megawatts.
“ Government should ensure that any Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo) that does not have certain amount of money to invest in infrastructure should not be allowed to continue to operate , “he said

The Forward Operating Base (FOB) Badagry of the Nigerian Navy has seized no fewer than 13,800 litres of petrol and 71 bags of foreign rice in multiple operations targeting smugglers along the Badagry creeks.
This was revealed in a statement, yesterday, by the Commanding Officer of FOB Badagry, Navy Captain Oyeleye Omotayo, who confirmed that the seizures occurred between March 7 and 14.
He said Naval operatives acted on intelligence, leading to the interception of the contraband in separate operations.
“In continuation of the fight against smuggling within our Area of Operation in Badagry, a target operation was launched on Friday, March 14, at 2:54 am,” Omotayo stated.
According to him, the operation was focused on intercepting smugglers and confiscating products intended for illegal export.
“The smugglers initially evaded our water patrol but were intercepted by our land patrol unit around 3:30 am.
“During the operation, 71 bags of foreign rice were found being smuggled. The items were seized, while the suspects fled upon sighting our patrol at 4:22 am,” he added.
The seized rice, he noted, has been taken to the base for further necessary action.
Omotayo further revealed that on the same day, intelligence operatives alerted the Navy at 12:15 am about petrol stockpiled at a beach near Bollington in the Badagry creeks, allegedly meant for smuggling via wooden boats through Nigeria’s territorial waters into the Benin Republic.
During the search, naval operatives discovered “234 jerry cans of 25 litres each, totaling about 5,850 litres of petrol,” which were promptly confiscated and moved to the base.
In addition, he disclosed that “7,770 litres of petrol” were seized in other operations conducted across Badagry communities.
He also confirmed that “7,950 litres of petrol” confiscated from two filling stations and Tongeji Island on March 7 and 8 had been handled in accordance with legal procedures.