The Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned on Monday, May 12, the hearing of contempt charges filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio against suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan until May 13, okaynews.com reports.
Justice Binta Nyako scheduled the date following a submission by defendants who filed an application accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan of contempt.
The conflict originated on February 20 during a Senate plenary over seating arrangements and escalated after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment on a television program.
Akpoti-Uduaghan subsequently filed a suit against the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Akpabio, and Senator Nedamwen Imasuen, seeking to restrain the Senate Committee on Ethics from investigating her alleged misconduct.
Despite a March 4 court order barring disciplinary action, the Senate suspended her on March 6 based on a committee report citing gross misconduct.
On April 4, Justice Nyako barred all parties from media engagements or social media posts about the case. However, the defendants claimed Akpoti-Uduaghan breached this by posting a satirical apology on Facebook, which they argued disrespected the court.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer countered that the post was unrelated to the court proceedings and urged the court to focus on the substantive case. The judge ruled that the contempt issue must be resolved before proceeding and cautioned lawyers about consequences of non-compliance with court orders.
The case is now set for a definitive hearing on May 13, where the court will address the contempt allegations and the broader dispute between the two lawmakers.
