BY CAROLINE AMEH
ABUJA – The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has distanced itself from the controversy surrounding the suspension and resumption bid of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that only the Senate or the courts can determine her fate.
The clarification followed a letter from the lawmaker’s legal team, M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, accusing the Clerk of overreach and threatening legal action over what it described as interference in her bid to return to the Senate.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, Director of Information, on behalf of the Clerk, the office stressed that its role is purely administrative and does not extend to interpreting, reviewing, or reversing Senate decisions.
“The Clerk’s Office provides support to the Senate in line with its resolutions, Standing Orders, and the Constitution. It cannot facilitate Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s resumption without either a fresh resolution of the Senate or a definitive court order,” the statement read.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, was suspended for six months on March 6, 2025, by the Senate.
Though she challenged the action in court, the Federal High Court did not overturn the suspension, leaving the matter pending at the Court of Appeal.
On September 4, 2025, the senator formally wrote to the Clerk’s Office, notifying of her intention to resume legislative duties.
The Clerk said the matter was communicated to the Senate leadership, which ruled that it remains sub judice and that any resumption must follow either a fresh resolution or a clear court pronouncement.
Expressing surprise at the claims by the senator’s lawyers, the Clerk maintained it had acted strictly within lawful limits.
“The determination of whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan can resume her legislative duties lies solely with the Senate, not the Office of the Clerk,” it stated, urging the public to allow the legislature and judiciary to resolve the issue.
