Senate to tighten disciplinary measures on erring members after Natasha’s saga

The Senate has commenced moves to amend its internal regulations on disciplinary actions against lawmakers, following a court ruling that faulted its recent suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

At Tuesday’s plenary, Kaka Shehu sponsored the Legislative Houses (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeking to establish clear and predetermined sanctions for misconduct by members, eliminating the current practice of referring disciplinary matters solely to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions.

The bill was then passed for first reading.

Briefing journalists after the plenary, Shehu said, “This amendment is necessary to create a framework of automatic consequences for specific infractions.

“It will ensure transparency, consistency, and prevent arbitrary decisions. Every member should know what punishment applies to each category of misconduct.”

Read also: Senate to receive court judgment on Natasha Akpoti’s case Tuesday

The move came just days after Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled against the Senate’s suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing it as excessive and a violation of her constituents’ right to representation.

The court’s decision, delivered last Friday, followed a suit filed by the senator, FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, challenging her suspension, which was handed down in March 2025 after a heated altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The confrontation, which stemmed from a dispute over seating arrangements in the Chamber, later escalated when Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a televised interview, accused Akpabio of victimisation after she allegedly rejected his sexual advances, an allegation the Senate President had strongly denied.

In her ruling, Justice Nyako acknowledged the Senate’s constitutional power to discipline its members but warned that such actions must be balanced with the democratic rights of citizens to be represented in Parliament.

She noted that with the National Assembly constitutionally required to sit for at least 181 days a year, the Senate’s decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan for 180 days effectively silenced the voice of the people of Kogi Central for nearly an entire session.

“The court is not denying the Senate’s right to discipline its members,” she stated.

“However, such sanctions must be reasonable and must not undermine the constitutional rights of citizens to be represented in parliament.”

The judge also faulted Chapter Eight of the Senate Standing Rules and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, saying they failed to provide adequate limits and safeguards on the duration and extent of disciplinary actions.