SERAP Sues Akpabio For Failing To Lift ‘Unlawful Suspension’ Of Senator Natasha

SERAP Sues Akpabio For Failing To Lift ‘Unlawful Suspension’ Of Senator Natasha

SERAP Sues Akpabio For Failing To Lift ‘Unlawful Suspension’ Of Senator Natasha

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio over “the failure to opposite the patently illegal suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, because the purported suspension is primarily based totally totally at the non violent workout of her proper to freedom of expression.”

Mr Akpabio is sued for himself and on behalf of all participants of the Senate.

The Senate currently suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for 6 months, after she reportedly ‘spoke with out permission’ and ‘refused her new seat withinside the Senate chamber.’

Her earnings and allowances have additionally been withheld in the course of the suspension, and he or she has been barred from figuring out herself as a senator.

In the in shape numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/498/2025, filed closing Friday on the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to rescind the illegal suspension of Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, reinstate her, and absolutely repair all her legislative rights, entitlements, and privileges.”

SERAP is seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from in addition postponing or taking any disciplinary movement in opposition to Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan totally for the non violent workout of her essential human rights.”

It is likewise seeking “a statement that the utility of sections 6(1)(2) of the Senate Rules, the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended), to droop Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan violates her human rights and deprives her ingredients in their proper to political participation.”

In the in shape , SERAP argues that “granting this utility could serve the general public hobby and sell appreciate for the rights of everybody withinside the National Assembly.”

It stated , “No one ought to ever be punished for ‘ talking with out permission’. Being a senator does now no longer deprive Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of her essential human rights. The Senate ought to be putting an instance through upholding the guideline of thumb of regulation and selling and shielding human rights, now no longer stamping them out.

“Punishing Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan totally for peacefully expressing herself is illegal , needless and disproportionate. Her suspension could actually have a disproportionate chilling impact at the capacity of different participants of the Senate to freely specific themselves and workout their human rights.

“Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension is primarily based totally totally at the non violent workout of her proper to freedom of expression withinside the Senate. All the opposite grounds stated through the Senate for her suspension appear to be a pretext to in addition limition her essential human rights.”

The in shape filed on behalf of SERAP through its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs Adelanke Aremo, study in part: “No member of the Senate ought to go through any results for peacefully workout their freedom of expression.”

The agency stated the suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate has “ constrained and severely undermined the capacity of the citizens of her Kogi Central Senatorial District to correctly take part of their personal authorities ”.

It stated , “The Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa, in Principle II (2) offers that ‘any regulations on freedom of expression will be supplied for through regulation , serve a valid hobby and be important and in a democratic society’.

“Article thirteen of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights offers that, ‘Every citizen shall have the proper to take part freely withinside the authorities of his country, both without delay or thru freely selected representatives according with the provisions of the regulation .’

“The proper to specific one’s opinion is of paramount importance, now no longer handiest as it oils the engine of a consultant democracy however additionally as it creates a unfastened and open environment.

“The proper to freedom of expression is a essential character human proper which is likewise a cornerstone of democracy and a way of making sure the honour for all human rights and freedoms.

“The Human Rights Council, the frame charged with tracking implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has burdened that any barriers or regulations to freedom of expression ought to be implemented strictly in order that they do ‘ now no longer installed jeopardy the proper itself.’

“Article 19(1) of the Covenant establishes the proper to freedom of opinion with out interference. Article 19(2) establishes the Senate’s duties to appreciate and ensure ‘the proper to freedom of expression,’ which incorporates the liberty to seek, obtain and impart records and thoughts of all kinds, both orally or in writing.

“The Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) ought to now no longer and can’t set apart Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s proper to specific herself and disseminate her critiques that’s in reality assured in segment 39 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and below the human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a country party.”

No date has been constant for the listening to of the in shape