Following the six-month suspension of the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, members of her constituency under the aegis of the Aggrieved Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District, have filed a petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, and Chairman Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen.
In a petition addressed to the Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr Abdullahi Usman Bello,
on Monday, and signed by seventy constituents, the petitioners accused the lawmakers of abuse of office and violation of their oath of office by suspending Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan despite an interim injunction from the Federal High Court.
The court order had restrained the Chairman Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with the investigation into alleged misconduct against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The petitioners argued that their wilfully abusive actions are arbitrary and knowingly prejudicial to the right of Kogi Central Constituents of Kogi State to have their elected Senator represent their collective interests in the Senate.
The petition reads:
“We are constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State and wish to painfully present this petition to your Bureau concerning the following persons;
1) Sen. Godswill Akpabio (Senate President)
2) Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (Senate Leader)
3) Sen. Neda Imasuen (Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions)
Mr. Chairman, we would like to draw your attention to the provisions of paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria in respect of the Code of Conduct for public officers which provides that a public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of any other person knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to any government policy.
“On 4th March 2025, the Senator representing our Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan secured an interim order of injunction from the Federal High Court restraining the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, Sen. Neda Imasuen from proceeding with the purported investigation against the Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for alleged misconduct sequel to the events that occurred at the plenary of the Senate on the 20th day of February 2025, pending the hearing of a Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction. Despite being served with the said Court Order,
“Sen. Neda Imasuen disregarded the said Court Order claiming that the Court cannot interfere with the functions of the Senate knowing that, such is not correct in view of the provisions of Section 4(8) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which provides that the exercise of legislative powers of the National Assembly SHALL be subject to jurisdiction of the Courts of law and judicial tribunals established by law.
“The said Sen. Neda Imasuen then proceeded to conduct the proceedings of the Ethics Committee contrary to an extant order of Court served on parties to Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025; Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan v. Clerk of the National Assembly.
“In abusing his powers, Sen. Imasuen who invited Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan for a hearing on 11th March, 2025, ended up conducting the hearing on 5th March 2025 without the presence of the said Senator. The Committee quickly sent a fresh invitation letter on the 5th of March, 2025.
“Sen. Imasuen’s Ethics Committee hurriedly prepared a Report contrary to a valid Court order served on him and presented same on the floor of the Senate on 6th March, 2025. The Sen. Imasuen-led Committee recommended that the said Senator be suspended for six months even when the Rules of the Senate prescribe only 14 Legislative vide order 67(4) of the Senate Rules.
“During the consideration of this unlawful Report, Sen. Akpabio who is the Senate President presided over the adoption of the Report despite knowing about the said restraining order of Court and the Senate Rules which do not permit for such period of suspension to be imposed on a serving Senator.
“Senator Opeyemi Bamidele who is the Senate leader urged the Senate to adopt the said Report even when he knew about the said restraining order of Court and the Rules of the Senate. The same Sen. Bamidele is a member of the body of Benchers charged with calling young lawyers to the Bar.
“The conduct of the above listed Senators apart from being abusive of their office deeply breaches their oath of office, which enjoins them to perform their functions honestly to the best of their ability and in accordance with the constitution of Nigeria, the laws of Nigeria and the Rules of the Senate.
“Their willfully abusive actions are arbitrary and knowingly prejudicial to the right of Kogi Central Constituents of Kogi State to have their elected Senator represent their collective interests in the Senate.
“Their said actions have led to the unlawful suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate for a period of 6 months with consequential loss of right to attend Senate sessions or enter the premises; suspension of her financial entitlement and perks of office; withdrawal of security details and purported directive not to parade herself as a Senator amongst others.
“The above-named Senators are therefore in deep contravention of paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule (part 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
“This petition is hereby presented against them pursuant to paragraph 12 of the Fifth Schedule (Part 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria,” it stated.
