The long-standing faceoff between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Kogi Central, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, may be drawing to a close following fresh developments at the National Assembly (NASS).
On Tuesday, personnel of the Sergeant-at-Arms in collaboration with security agencies officially unsealed Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Office 205 at the Senate Wing, restoring her access to the premises after months of political tension.
With her office now reopened, the lawmaker is positioned to resume her legislative duties when the Senate reconvenes on October 7, 2025. okay.ng reports that the reopening was agreed upon during a Senate leadership meeting, where it was resolved that she should return ahead of the next plenary session.
According to inside sources, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Abba Moro of Benue South, will be expected to table a motion requiring Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to tender a formal apology. The motion will be debated and seconded to pave way for her official return.
Her troubles date back to March 2025 when she was suspended for six months after openly protesting against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Akpabio. At the time, she was serving as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Although her suspension formally ended in September 2025, her attempt to resume was blocked as the leadership insisted on waiting for a Court of Appeal ruling on her case. Earlier in July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had described the six-month suspension as unconstitutional and ordered her recall, stressing that prolonged suspension deprived her constituents of representation.
Despite the ruling, the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamorudeen Ogunlana, had clarified in an official statement that his office lacked the authority to reverse Senate decisions, insisting that only the Senate could permit her return.
Meanwhile, her lawyer, Michael Jonathan Numa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had threatened to institute contempt proceedings against the CNA for failing to facilitate her reinstatement.
The reopening of her office is therefore seen as a significant signal that the Senate is ready to reintegrate the embattled Senator into parliamentary activities.
