Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by filing a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The advocacy group is challenging Akpabio’s “failure to reverse” what they describe as the “patently unlawful suspension” of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a statement released on Sunday, SERAP alleged that the senator’s suspension was based solely on her peaceful exercise of freedom of expression.
According to court documents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/498/2025, SERAP is seeking “an order of mandamus directing and compelling 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 organization is also requesting “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.”
SERAP argues that the Senate recently suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months after she reportedly “spoke without permission” and “refused her new seat in the Senate chamber.” The group noted that her salary and allowances have been withheld during the suspension period, and she has been prohibited from identifying herself as a senator.
“Punishing Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan solely for peacefully expressing herself is unlawful, unnecessary and disproportionate,” SERAP stated, adding that her suspension would create a “disproportionate chilling effect” on other senators’ ability to freely express themselves.
In the lawsuit filed by attorneys Kolawole Oluwadare and Adelanke Aremo, SERAP maintains that “No member of the Senate should suffer any consequences for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression.”
The controversy stems from an altercation between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio when she was instructed to change her seat during a plenary session. On February 28, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of making inappropriate advances toward her during a visit to his home in December 2023.
Prior to this lawsuit, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed a defamation case against Akpabio regarding these allegations, which the Senate President has denied, characterizing her actions as “an embarrassment to the Senate and Nigeria.”
No date has yet been scheduled for the hearing of SERAP’s case.
